Atiku demands apology from Tinubu for questioning his capacity to manage Nigeria’s economy
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar is livid over the scorn poured on his business acumen by the All Progressives Congress (APC) tag team, with Kashim Shettima dismissing him as a mere bottled water entrepreneur.
APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu and his running mate Shettima both rubbished Atiku’s capacity to manage Nigeria’s economy on Tuesday when the duo presented their economic plan at a meeting with the private sector in Lagos.
But Shettima was more on the offensive against his fellow Northerner, deploying scathing words to play the attack dog for Tinubu. Shettima even mocked Atiku’s academic qualification, even as Tinubu’s own qualification is being litigated.
Atiku has demanded an apology from Tinubu and Shettima for questioning his entrepreneurship and ability to handle the national economy.
He expressed displeasure at the APC ticket talking “condescendingly” about other presidential candidates, according to a statement he issued through his Media Adviser Paul Ibe.
“The remarks from the candidates of the APC show gross irresponsibility and disrespect.
“One would have thought that the duo would use the advantage of such a gathering to talk about solutions that their party, APC, has foisted on the country. Rather, they went on the ultra highway of political indecency,” the statement said, per Vanguard.
“Any business that produces products, creates jobs and delivers dividends, especially in this era of the APC administration when the country is bleeding jobs, is an asset and should not be mocked.
“It is irrelevant if it is a small business or a big business. And for Shettima, it is more shameful that he will denigrate a going business that employs a large chunk of people in the Northeast region.
“Shettima should apologise to Nigerian workers, especially the thousands that benefit from Atiku’s businesses, for his irresponsible statement.
“Politics does not confer on anyone the licence to make irresponsible statements.”
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Shettima derided Atiku at the event, saying he should not think of himself as an economic expert because he sells bottled water, according to Vanguard reporting.
Atiku owns a beverage company with the brand name Faro.
Shettima also said the certificate Atiku got from the Kano School of Hygiene only qualifies him to be a wole wole (Yoruba for sanitation inspector).
He criticised Atiku’s history of losing presidential elections, insisting he is not an Abraham Lincoln who became United States President after several attempts, but a Raila Odinga of Kenya, a serial loser of presidential elections.
“I respect Atiku Abubakar but leadership goes beyond ‘unstatesman-like’ ranting. Someone who cannot unite his own party, I wonder how he is going to unite this nation,” Shettima said.
“The world is talking of artificial intelligence, of big data, of nanotechnology. The training that the elder statesman got from Kano School of Hygiene is that of a wole wole.
“And believe me, the ability to sell bottled water does not make one an expert on the economy. Atiku Abubakar is not Abraham Lincoln, he is more of a Raila Odinga.
“Next year, we are going to permanently retire the political tourist back to Dubai.”
