It was supposed to be a campaign, to rally support from key stake holders in Jigawa the foot rest of another strong PDP Presidential aspirant Sule Lamido. Instead of a campaigning for support, the Former Vice-President and PDP presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar turn the table with former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido pleading to him to step down and work together as brothers.
He made the plea yesterday at the Jigawa State PDP secretariat. He was in the state to seek support ahead of the primaries.
Atiku visited the former governor in his Bamaina country home.
Atiku said his visit was to seek Lamido’s support.
He explained that he “did not go to Jigawa to campaign but to visit PDP members and his junior brother Sule Lamido”.
Atiku related the incident with what happened in 1993 election under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Katsina State where two brothers – Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua were contesting. The latter stepped down for the former.
He recalled that elders told Shehu Musa Yar’Adua that there was no way they could support him as president and support his brother as the governor.
“Junior brother cannot contest against his senior brother. The junior brother instantly stepped down for his brother due to his loyalty,” he said.
Atiku explained that the country needs repairs because of what he called a system failure around all sectors, including security and economy.
“The government inherited an economy growing at about 7% and crashed it to recession in its first year and currently going below 2%,” Atiku noted.
“Most of the parts of this country are currently feeling excluded” Atiku added.
To the former Vice-President, the APC administration is a failure and disappointment. He advised Nigerians to votes out APC next year.
Lamido said the visit was a homecoming visit.
All the presidential aspirants declined to comment on the issue.