Presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in next year’s presidential election, Atiku Abubakar has assured Nigerians that his cabinet will not be infested or taking over by cabals if he is elected as President.
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The former vice president who said this in an apparent shade to incumbent President Buhari whose government has been rumored to have been hijacked by cabals within the Presidency to the general disservice of Nigerians.
Atiku also pledged to form a government of national unity if elected into office.
All this he said yesterday during a meeting with leaders of the Coalition of Political Parties (CUPP) in Abuja after having been endorsed by the group as their sole Presidential candidate earlier in the week.
Atiku told the opposition leaders to dismiss any fear of a cabal within his government stressing that since same would be broad-based, no room would exist for a cabal to operate in the corridors of power. He said;
“I want to commit myself to the continuation of the doctrine a government of national unity. We believe as a political party in a government of national unity and there must be stability before you can do anything, whether to implement your economic programme or implement your healthcare programme.
Right from the beginning, I have been a member of the PDP and I know we have always believed in a government of national unity. It takes a long time for a country as diverse as Nigeria to be united and stable even before we start talking about which ethnic group we come from or which religion we practice.
I want to assure you that as long as we are having a government of national unity, there will not be a cabal.”
He further called on the political group to make a public presentation of its decision to work together for the enlightenment of all Nigerians in every nook and cranny of the country.
On the clamour for the participation of young people in partisan politics, Atiku said what is paramount is the involvement of all and sundry, adding that democracy as a process does not pitch the old against the young.
“Democracy is not a process where one group replaces the other but it is a process where all groups participate. It is not a process where one group, young or old, rich or poor exclude the other but a process where everybody participate,” he noted.
Speaking further, Atiku traced his journey into politics stressing that if democracy advocates like him refused to make efforts, incumbent President, Buhari would not have been able to participate in the process,
“In the 1980s when some of us joined politics, the reason was to drive the military out of power and restore democracy. That was what late General Yar ‘ Adua told me. He said, come and join me. I was in my late 30s and in the public service. I abandoned it and followed him. That was the beginning of my political career. If we did not drive the military, he won’t be here today talking about political parties and wanting to be President,” he stated
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