APC slams Atiku, says former VP driven by desperation, animosity towards Tinubu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the press conference held by former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, as a futile attempt to tarnish the image and reputation of President Bola Tinubu.
In a press statement issued by APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Mouka on Wednesday, the party accused Atiku of lying, distorting and spreading falsehood about Tinubu’s academic record, which was recently confirmed by the Registrar of Chicago State University (CSU), Mr. Caleb Westberg, in a sworn deposition in the United States.
The APC said Atiku was driven by desperation and animosity towards Tinubu, whom he blamed for his repeated electoral losses in 2007, 2015, 2019 and this year.
The party also condemned Atiku for showing contempt for the Supreme Court by making public comments on his pending appeal challenging the outcome of the February presidential election, which Tinubu won by a landslide.
The APC said it was unfazed by Atiku’s “display of utter desperation” and his “failed bid to become the President of Nigeria”.
“The press conference lacked purpose and delivered nothing except the pitiful regurgitation of lies, mindless distortions and deliberate falsehood on his infantile obsession with the academic record of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“For several weeks now, Nigerians and the world have watched with incredulity Alhaji Abubakar’s display of utter desperation in his failed bid to become the President of Nigeria.
“Earlier today, he put his desperation in overdrive during his press conference where he addressed some of the issues in his appeal at the Supreme Court and bandying unproven charges against the President of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a calculated attempt to shamelessly whip up public sentiments and inordinately pressure the Supreme Court.
“We believe Atiku should have known better than to demonstrate gross contempt of the highest court by making public comments on a matter that he has submitted to the court for adjudication.
“The major takeaway from his Yar’Adua Centre show, especially at question time, was that Atiku harbours deep animosity towards Tinubu whom he believes was responsible for his electoral woes in 2007, 2015, 2019 and this year,” Mouka said in the statement.
The APC also provided some clarity on the matter of the deposition of Mr. Westberg, who testified under oath at the Chicago office of Atiku’s lawyer, Angela Liu.
The party said Mr. Westberg was clear and unambiguous in his deposition that Tinubu graduated with honours from CSU and that he was the same person who is Nigeria’s president.
The party also said Mr. Westberg confirmed that a certain gentleman called Adeniji, who claimed to be Tinubu’s classmate, was indeed a student at CSU at the same time and they both ran for student union positions.
The APC said Mr. Westberg explained that the diploma certificate, which Atiku and his party tried to use to discredit Tinubu, was just a ceremonial document and that what proved studentship at CSU and in any American university was transcript, not certificate.
The party also said Mr. Westberg stated that the ‘F’ on the Southwest college certificate, a feeder institution to CSU, which Tinubu used to gain admission into CSU, was a clerical error which could happen.
The party said it sympathised with Atiku for spending a lifetime pursuing an unrealised dream, but strongly condemned the “perfidious road” he had taken and the “needless negative exposure” of Nigeria and the institution of the Presidency in foreign land.
The party urged Nigerians to disregard Atiku’s “campaign of misinformation” and support Tinubu’s administration in delivering good governance and development to the country.
