Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will officially join the presidential race anytime soon, Tracknews.ng has learned.
In a statement on Friday, Director General of the Amalgamated Atiku Support Groups (AASG), Hon Oladimeji Fabiyi, said Atiku is still consulting with stakeholders and eminent Nigerians.
Fabiyi stated that the former PDP presidential candidate is experienced and eminently qualified under the constitution of the country to contest for any office.
He, however, refuted claims that some registered groups promoting the 2023 presidential agenda of Atiku Abubakar have withdrawn their support.
Fabiyi said groups claiming to have withdrawn their support are mischief-makers being used by disgruntled individuals to advance their narrow interests.
The statement reads: “I would like to make it abundantly clear that the AASG which has the records of hundreds of credible and authenticated Atiku support groups nationwide and in the Diaspora does not know of such amorphous groups. Let it be known that these so-called groups are at best interlopers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar is eminently qualified under the constitution of Nigeria to contest for any office in the land. Above all, he is experienced, competent and has the capacity to preside over the affairs of our country at this critical point of its life.
“It is therefore ridiculous and malicious to see some individuals acting in ignorance of the provisions of the law.
“It is, however, not surprising because, at every political season such as we are in, we witness all sorts of political jobbers, paid agents and charlatans masquerading as groups to do the bidding of enemies of democracy. Indeed, Nigerians expect more of such shenanigans.
“Already our intelligence has exposed the plot of these enemies of democracy to malign and discredit Atiku Abubakar in order to advance their narrow interests. Printed materials at UTC in Area 10 of Abuja are awaiting deployment.
“Even as security agencies are being put on notice of these nefarious activities, I call on Nigerians to ignore them as one can see that some of the reasons adduced by the groups are not only ridiculous but lacking in substance.
“The question that should be asked is who is afraid of Atiku? Everyone can see that Atiku is the issue in 2023; he is the phenomenon in 2023 that is why you see all the attacks from all angles both within the PDP and APC directed at him.
“We have seen how these desperate elements have gone to the extent of mass printing anti-Atiku campaign items in Abuja which can never help them and their paymasters.
“For Atiku and his supporters, it’s about the real issues, it’s about discourse on how to move Nigeria forward not about their shenanigans and inordinate ambition.
“Atiku remains the preferred choice of the majority of PDP members and Nigerians at large, therefore, the attack by enemies to stall Nigeria’s progress cannot stop an idea whose time has come.”
