An ally of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, has accused mischief makers of promoting the impression that The Atiku Plan suggests that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has a hidden agenda of two terms in office.
Shaibu described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as one of the biggest disasters to have ever befallen Nigeria.
He said the current government was jittery and that President Muhammadu Buhari’s three and a half years in office was a sad reminder of Nigeria’s arrested development since 2015 “when the clueless party came to power.”
A statement he signed Monday night read in part: “The reason the policy document was authored to cover up to 2025 and beyond was simply meant to address the volatility and unpredictability of global trade and economics, as most progressive leaders who understand the intricate nature of growing their economies, draw up 10 year strategic vision plans for their nations, even when they well understand that their term in office will not extend to such a period.
“Government is a continuum and as such, a sound and effective development plan can serve several leaders who are desirous of enhancing the welfare and well being of their citizens.”
Shaibu cited three examples from Nigeria’s recent past where the current administration continued to implement some major projects and policies of the immediate past PDP administration.
He listed the projects to include Railway projects, the implementation of the TSA and BVN financial policy, by the Buhari administration, which, according to him, were actually inherited by the sound development plan of the President Goodluck Jonathan era.
He added: “Sadly, the mudslinging intentions and diabolic attempts to divert the campaign away from the real issues that continue to bedevil the country, has been given a new twist by the purveyors of negative propaganda.
“This category of persons have simply overlooked the salient points contained in the “My plan to get Nigeria working again” document to invoke ethnic and divisive sentiments by insinuating that the document has exposed a hidden agenda of a second term plan by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and by so doing are directly provoking the South East or even south west into erroneously believing that they have no stake in 2023
“The mention of 2025 and 2030 as delivery dates for some of the critical components of the plan is a clear demonstration that Atiku’s vision reflects the sincerity of his intentions to achieve a better, more progressive Nigeria and the generosity of the mind of a good leader who thinks ahead in a selfless manner for common good.
“What Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has done is simply acknowledging that Nigeria will exist beyond his tenure as such he has set down a road map to make the work easier for those that will take over and continue the good work of reviving Nigeria from its comatose state under Buhari and the APC.
“Indeed, working with a man like Peter Obi, who incidentally is from the South East and whose sterling track record as a financial guru and economic master-strategist, speak volumes for the expansive nationalistic vision of Atiku Abubakar.”
Shaibu called on the APC to apologise to all Nigerians for bringing them nothing but suffering of unquantifiable proportion since 2015, and to make a solemn pledge not to have anything to do with governance, with the 2019 elections fast approaching.
