Alleged Ethnic Remarks: Keyamo Urges Nigerians To Reject Atiku

By Ayodele Oni

THE spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Presidential Campaign Council, (PCC) Festus Keyamo, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to quit the race.

Keyamo accused Atiku of playing the ethnic card ahead of the 2023 presidential election; hence, should quit the race.

He was reacting to Atiku’s comment that Nigeria needs a pan-Nigerian president and not a Yoruba or Igbo president in 2023.

The PDP candidate has however disowned the remark with his spokesman saying that he was misquoted.

Condemning the remark, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, accused the PDP presidential candidate of bringing ethnic bias into his campaign.

In a series of tweets, Keyamo wrote: “This is the height of desperation and daredevilry on the part of Atiku!

“This is so horrendous, so horrible and so thoughtless for Atiku Abubakar to use ethnicity to campaign, saying the North does not need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate? My God! Atiku needs to quit the race TODAY!

“Some of his hirelings have brought out their hammers and nails to try to panel-beat this clear and obvious statement, instead of taking the route of honour to apologize to Nigerians or step down honourably from the race. No ‘repackaging’ or ‘panel-beating’ will repair this damage.”

In a statement by Paul Ibe, media assistant to Atiku said the statement credited to the PDP candidate was untrue.

According to him, Atiku had said that the credential of national inclusivity, not ethnicity should be an ideal that the Northern part of the country should examine in electing a new president for the country in the 2023 elections.

He noted that with a political career that spans more than three decades, Atiku stands shoulder high as a Northerner who has built bridges of unity across the country.

Quoting Atiku, “I have been in politics for more than three decades and I am a Northerner.

“So, if you ask me why I am the best candidate to lead Nigeria in 2023, I will simply say that what Nigeria needs is a pan-Nigerian president, not whether he is Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa-Fulani.”

Atiku, while delivering his speech at the event, highlighted the key policy agendas which he seeks to pursue if elected president to include promoting national unity through deliberate actions that will secure mutual trust and confidence amongst all tendencies.

The other policy areas that the former Vice President enumerated are reforms in education, agriculture and reversing the economic downturn of the country.