Atiku Made Blunder By Saying Northerners Don’t Need Yoruba, Igbo As President – Atedo Peterside
Atiku Abubakar’s scandalous statement discouraging northerners from voting for non-northern candidates in the 2023 presidential election has continued to generate reactions from Nigerians, with the latest coming from Atedo Peterside — the President and Founder of ANAP Foundation.
According to Peterside, also the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, Atiku has made a blunder capable of ruining his chances at the 2023 polls if not well managed.
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Atiku, whose presidential ambition is already threatened by the current disunity in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appeared to have worsened his chances at the polls when he discouraged northerners from voting ‘Yoruba’ or ‘Igbo’ candidates during an interactive session with some northern groups on Saturday in Kaduna.
The two-time former vice president, retired customs officer, and wealthy businessman has been tirelessly touted as a unifier by his supporters.
But yesterday’s remark in which he said “I think what the average northerner needs is somebody who is from the north” coupled with his failure to resolve the long-lasting crisis afflicting the PDP, has put a question mark on the appellation.
During the townhall organized by the Arewa Joint Committee at Arewa House, Kaduna, Atiku claimed that his acquaintance with “the whole of this country” and the years of bridges he has built across the country gives him an advantage over other presidential candidates in terms of having an understanding of what Nigerians need.
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Atiku stressed, “He (northerner) doesn’t need a Yoruba candidate, or an Igbo candidate. This (a northerner) is what the northerner needs,” adding “I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of northern origin.”
A video in which the former vice president made the statement has since gone viral on social media.
But reacting via his Twitter page on Sunday, Peterside said it seemed that Atiku “mis-spoke” at the event, adding that “mistakes will be made by the candidates between now and Feb 2023. How they own up to and manage their mistakes may well be the differentiator.”
Peterside announced in May that he had joined a political party and registered as a member of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
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His foundation has at its core the promotion of good governance in Nigeria.
