The campaign spokesman for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Kenneth Okonkwo, said his principal’s refusal to support former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term agenda led to their differences.
NEWSNGR reports that Okonkwo, in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said Atiku told him that Obasanjo was nursing a third-term ambition in 2007.
According to the Nollywood actor-turned-politician, when Obasanjo sent delegates to him, he (the former vice president) vowed to fight the agenda of a third term.
Okonkwo also said that Obasanjo vowed never to hand over power to Atiku for refusing to support his third-term bid.
He added that some Nigerians are against Atiku becoming President because he wants to make life better for citizens.
He said, “Nigerians are now seeing that the only reason they want to stop Atiku Abubakar is because he wants to come and make life better and pleasurable for Nigerians.
“He did it before from 1999 to 2007 the best administration we have ever had, the one that improved the economy the most.
“They were paying off international debts, they were paying fuel subsidy while Nigeria was growing as the largest economy in Africa.
“And let me tell you the reason. Atiku told me about this one himself that from 2005 to 2007, Obasanjo had started romancing third term and he sent people to Atiku to support him. Atiku told them ‘if I tell you to take this message to them, will you? Tell him that not only that I will not support it, I will fight it.’
“Obasanjo responded that ‘hope you know the consequence that I will not hand over power to you? Atiku told me this.”
Recall that Obasanjo was Nigeria’s President from 1999 to 2007, and during his administration, Atiku was his Vice President.
