By Ochiaka Ugwu
A former Vice President and opposition All Progressives’ Congress (APC) presidential hopeful, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has tasked President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently recover lost Nigerian territories from rampaging Boko Haram terrorists or go down in the annals of history as the first and only commander-in-Chief that lost territory to invading forces.
The APC leader who spoke through the Director of Publicity, Atiku Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Garba Shehu said the situation at hand warrants urgent attention which should not be limited to attacking people while the main issue is calling for attention.
“The issue now is not about attacking people or insult, the issue is Mr. President look at the history, you are on record as the first Commander-in-Chief in Nigeria to lose territory, the territorial integrity of Nigeria is threatened.
“Nigeria is becoming smaller, shrinking. 16 local government areas are lost to Boko Haram. They have caliphate flags. It was reported that 21 to 22, 000 square kilometres are under the firm grip of the insurgents, which is equivalent to three Nigerian states. The president should address the issue by recovering the lost territory now. He has the chance of redeeming his image by fighting them” he said.
Speaking further, Shehu, who described the Adamawa born politician as the most qualified aspirant to govern Nigeria in 2015 said Atiku is the best presidential material that has the solution to the country’s baskets of problem.
He informed that Atiku’s campaign was all about issues, ideas that will transform the fortunes of the common man in the street which is devoid of emotion and sentiment.
Continuing, Shehu said that what distinguished Atiku from the myriad of aspirants was because he is well prepared for the job as he will hit the ground running on day one given his antecedents as a reformer.
“What is important here is to tell you how Atiku is different from the crowd; I don’t want to say aspirants, and why we think we are the best to clinch that ticket. Atiku’s campaign is about ideas against emotion. Atiku is not presenting himself as a presidential candidate because he is a Muslim or northerner or whatever emotional identities that are there” he said.
“He believes he has the credential to be the next president of Nigeria because he is the only aspirant who is prepared to be president. I am conscious to say this because he will hit the ground running on day one, the moment he gets into office. If you look at what is happening, he is the only one who is been organising the thinking of this country in the direction of solving the problem of this country”.
