2023: Middle Belt leaders say Atiku’s endorsement self-serving , denounce Dogara
The Southern and Middle – Belt Alliance (SaMBA) has disassociated itself from the purported endorsement of Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by aggrieved northern All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders , saying it is self-serving
Recall that after several months of political permutations, a group under the aegis of the Northern Elders Consultative Forum, including the Christian leaders in the APC in the North on Friday formally adopted Atiku Abubakar for the 2023 election.
According to them, Atiku was adopted following the resolve of the Northern Christian leaders to work with their Muslim counterparts to adopt one of the presidential candidates in a bid to defeat the same-faith presidential ticket of the APC.
But in a statement SaMBA declared that the train has left the station for the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum (NLCF) and that the purported endorsement of the former Vice President was at best self -serving and selfish.
The statement signed by SaMBA Spokesman, Prince Rwang Pam Jnr in response to the reported endorsement of Atiku Abubakar by “a toothless platform” said that the group was manipulated by some politicians who had benefited and still benefiting from the old order from the Presidential candidate of PDP.
The middle belt group wondered how millions of Middlebelt and northern Christian voters benefitted from Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who in recent history deleted his tweet condemning the killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto by alleged Islamic extremist. SAMBA noted that the former Vice President is yet to condole with the affected family, six months after.
The statement reads, “Our attention have been drawn to the purported endorsement of the Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by a toothless Northern Leaders Consultative Forum (NLCF), coordinated by former Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who by this action has lost favour amongst his MiddleBelt family.”
“We want to state categorically that the Communique by Rt. Hon. Dogara’s group is self serving and does not remotely or substantially represent the interest of Middlebelters who occupied approximately 300,000 Sq km of the Northern region that is about 50%”
“Also, it is on record that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who declined to speak publicly against the gruesome murdered of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto will not defend the interest of Middlebelters and Christians living in the north. Atiku who had been vice president between 1999-2007 belongs to the old order. He will not be able to restructure Nigeria to satisfy the yearning of Nigerians.
