Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, and Ifeanyi Okowa, his running mate, attacked the ruling All Progressives Congress on Tuesday, September 13, calling their choice to run on a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election the party’s most insensitive move in a diverse country like Nigeria.
They also lambasted the APC-led Buhari administration for wrecking the economy and leaving Nigerians worse off than they were eight years prior.
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Speaking at two different political gatherings held in Abuja and Lagos on Tuesday, September 13, Atiku and Okowa criticised the ruling party’s decision to field a ticket consisting of members of the same religion as the most callous political move.
Okowa, who was in the company of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, at an event in Abuja, said;
I personally do not believe in the Muslim-Muslim ticket. The reason is that there is diversity when it comes to that. Therefore, sticking to one faith is not a good thing to do particularly in a troubled nation as we are in today. It’s almost like going on to having the presidential candidate from the North and picking the vice presidential candidate also from the North.
As a result of the ruling party’s action, the Delta State governor said it would be difficult for the APC to win the presidential poll.
So, the only ticket that can work for Nigeria is the ticket that doe not tie election victory to either the Muslim or Christian faith.
The summit was organised by the Northern Christian Youth Assembly with the theme, “Unifying Nigeria: The role of Northern Christian youths and women.”
Okowa told the youth that with their support, the party would win the 2023 elections.
What Atiku Said
Additionally, Atiku claimed that the APC-led administration had presided over a period of time that had been responsible for a shockingly high level of unemployment in the nation when he spoke at the Private Sector Economic Forum on the 2023 Presidential Elections hosted by the Lagos Chamer of Commerce and Industry in Lagos.
In a speech titled “Nigeria dresses in borrowed robes,” Atiku delivered a harsh critique of the economic performance of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. He said that since taking office in 2015, Nigeria has constantly run on budget deficits.
He pointed out that the budget deficits frequently exceeded the 3% cap allowed by the Fiscal Responsibility Law.
