Atiku Seeks Cooperation From Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen To Win 2027 Election

By Ayodele Oni

Presidential Candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar,  has appealed to both Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen who also contested for the ticket to join forces with him and ensure the victory of the party during next year’s general elections.

Delivering his acceptance speech after he was declared winner of the primary election on Wednesday, Atiku wooed them thus: “Dear friends, we have gone through great challenges to build this coalition.

“Let us now turn our energies to continuing to build this party as we prepare for the campaign to win the elections and to rescue this country from the current misrule.

“We have a sacred responsibility to build a party that will stand as a great institution not only in Nigeria but as a great example to the world.

“I, therefore, appeal to all those who feel aggrieved to come back to our party and close ranks with the rest of us.  I appeal to all those who contested for various positions in our primaries to close ranks with us.

“In particular, I invite Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country.

“As I said previously, there are no winners and no losers. Our people look up to us for leadership. I am ready to lead. I shall work with you all to continue to build our party.

“I will campaign with you and, if Nigerians give us the mandate, govern with you to build a country that works for all.”

He reminded ADC members that the coalition was built through sacrifices guided by determination to protect democracy in the country.

“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its oppressive and anti-democratic government, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress.

“In our party, members are allowed to express their views, to have ambitions and to contest for elective positions in a free, fair and transparent process.

“Our great party is a coalition built through hard work, immense sacrifices and compromises, guided by our determination to rescue our country’s democracy, which is facing its greatest threat since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

“As I speak, virtually all opposition political parties in the country have leadership crisis engineered by the APC government, the INEC and elements in the judiciary.

“And opposition figures continue to be harassed and intimidated, including those languishing in detention, such as Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who distinguished himself as a public servant, including as a Minister and two-term Governor of Kaduna State.

“He has been in detention for three months despite court orders granting him bail. He has been denied the right to celebrate two important religious holidays with his family in addition to being denied the opportunity to be by his mother’s side as she took her last breath.

“All because he is a leading opposition figure! This kind of cruelty must stop.  The government continues to harass, intimidate and coerce opposition politicians to join the APC, using the security agencies as well as the agencies which were set up by a previous government to fight corruption.

“Under this government, once a person joins the APC, the harassment ceases and the charges against them magically disappear.  This abuse of power must stop.”