Nigerians are frustrated, disappointed in Buhari, says Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during his campaign for the presidential mandate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party to unseat the Incumbent President at next year’s presidential elections in Lagos / AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

Nigeria’s former vice president and presidential hopeful Atiku Abubakar said Nigerians are frustrated and disappointed in the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to deliver on its promised change agenda.

Atiku, who lost the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to Buhari in 2015, said it was disheartening that the president is yet to deliver on the three focal points of reviving the economy, security and fight against corruption he campaigned on in 2015.

The former vice-president, while inaugurating his Presidential Nomination Council in Abuja, said Nigerians are once more increasingly being sidelined and neglected in the scheme of things.

“The change that Nigerians were promised during the last presidential election has not been delivered. And our people are rightly disappointed and frustrated,” Abubakar said.

“Their welfare is being ignored, we are once more sliding towards dictatorship as the government chooses which court order to obey, which to ignore and who is bound by the law and who is above the law.”

Atiku, who is aspiring to be Nigeria’s next president after the 2019 elections on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), promised to use his position to restore true democracy and get the country working again.

He said the struggle for a national renewal was a task that must be embraced if lives and welfare for citizens must improve.

“Nigerians are yearning for jobs, for opportunities, unity and for security. We must work with them to achieve this. We must also ensure truth in politics, justice and fairness in governance.

“And a genuine federal system that will help us address local priorities and run a more effective and efficient government.”

He urged members of his support group and PDP to “campaign hard. Let us explain to our party and our people what is at stake in the forthcoming primaries and the presidential election to follow,”

“Let our party and Nigerians know my programme on how to make Nigeria work again, improve our people’s quality of life.

“Come to think of it, our people are not asking for too much, all they asked for are universal human rights, the right to security, good education, jobs and to have effective and accountable governance.”

Atiku named Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and 58 other persons as members of his presidential nomination council ahead of the PDP presidential primaries slated to hold October 5th and 6th.