A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Osita Okechukwu, has called on Nigerians to be cautious and not be swayed by the intense desire of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar to become president at any cost.
Okechukwu made this statement on Tuesday in response to the release of President Bola Tinubu’s certificate to Atiku by the Chicago State University, as ordered by the court.
Controversial Documents
The documents, released on Monday, have sparked controversies, with many observers pointing out what they believe to be discrepancies.
Questioning Atiku’s Moral High Ground
Okechukwu, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), argued that Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, does not have the moral authority to speak about the rule of law.
He posed the question, “Can an elder statesman who blatantly breached his party’s constitution and the national rotation convention genuinely talk about the rule of law? It is a well-established principle that one who seeks justice must come with clean hands.”
Okechukwu clarified that, despite the uproar surrounding the Chicago State University’s papers, only a diploma was submitted to INEC.
A Plea for Democracy and Unity
Okechukwu appealed for the preservation of Nigeria’s young democracy and the fragile unity of the country, particularly in the face of anti-democratic forces in the West African sub-region.
He reminded everyone that Atiku had endorsed Tinubu by deliberately violating the PDP’s constitution and the national rotation convention, which promote equity, justice, and unity in the country.
A Call for Atiku’s Accountability
Instead of sowing discord, Okechukwu challenged Atiku to step down from his position, apologize to the entire PDP membership he betrayed, and seek forgiveness from the Igbo people, who placed their trust in the PDP for more than two decades, hoping for their turn in the 2023 presidential election.
Okechukwu further emphasized the need to resist the temptation of following Atiku’s insatiable ambition for the presidency, as it could potentially destabilize the country.
Protecting Our Democracy
He cautioned against undermining Nigeria’s improving democracy, acknowledging that the 2023 presidential election might have its flaws but insisting that the fledgling democracy should not be jeopardized by the anti-democratic forces prevalent in the West African sub-region.
Okechukwu expressed his belief that Atiku’s overwhelming ambition is driving him to an unhealthy obsession with attaining the presidency by any means necessary, even if it means causing chaos.
He emphasized that, from a legal standpoint, Atiku cannot be absolved of his violations of Section 7 of the PDP’s constitution and the principles of the rotation convention that have governed the Fourth Republic.
A Missed Opportunity for Southern Inclusion
Okechukwu remarked that if Atiku had shown statesmanship and adhered to the rotation convention embedded in the Fourth Republic and the PDP, the presidential election could have been a contest between Tinubu and Obi, both hailing from the south.
