Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has attacked the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar over his comment that northerners do not need a Yoruba or an Igbo president.
Atiku, while speaking at an interactive session of the Arewa townhall policy dialogue in Kaduna, played the ethnic card in other to get the votes of the north.
Reacting to this development, Fani-Kayode said Atiku is a dying breed who still see things from a regional, ethnic and religious prism.
“Atiku’s words are not only unacceptable but also insulting, irresponsible and despicable. This is especially so given the fact that by next year we would have had 8 years of Northern/Fulani rule and now this man says we must have another 8 years of it because that is what is “best for the North”.
“Most Northerners do not believe this and thankfully they, unlike Atiku and members of his divided party, do not see Southerners as slaves and they regard us all as being equal. We will not allow Atiku to do to Nigeria what he did to Wike,” he said.
According to Fani-Kayode, “We will not be cheated or denied. It is time for power to shift to the South and the overwhelming number of people in the North and certainly all the Northerners in the APC believe that.
“They recognise the fact that if we want our nation to continue to enjoy peace and remain united into the distant future we must be fair in our dealings with one another.
“Atiku is a dying breed who still see things from a regional, ethnic and religious prism. Nigeria has moved on from that and she deserves better.
“Our nation will not accept an ethnic bigot and tribal champion as their President. Atiku ibn Dubai does NOT speak for the North: he speaks only for his deluded and blind PDP supporters and his PCC. Nigeria does not need a Northern or Southern President: she needs a NIGERIAN President.”
He added that “To say the North will be better off if a Northerner is in power for yet another 8 years and will be worse off if an Igbo or Yoruba is in power is an insidious, provocative, dangerous, self-serving and specious lie. Gone are the days of slavery and bondage! Atiku is playing with FIRE!”
