Atiku pays tribute to Obasanjo in acceptance speech

Atiku

The opposition party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has put the past behind and paid tribute to the former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Abubakar was Obasanjo running mate in 1999 under the platform of PDP, and both went on to rule Nigeria until 2007.

Although they started on a good note for Nigeria’s democracy, working together to dismantle the statist political economy imposed by successive military administrations for more liberal economic policies.

But the former president had earlier said Abubakar should count him out for support in his bid to actualise his life-long ambition of being elected the president of Nigeria.

However, Abubakar while delivering his speech on Sunday after he emerged the PDP’s presidential candidate praised his former boss for choosing him as a running mate in 1999 and for giving him important leadership lessons when they served the country together.

“I wouldn’t have been standing here today if my former boss president Olusegun Obasanjo has not made me his vice president,” Abubakar said.

“Under his tutelage, I learned quite a lot and I believed the experience I got is going to definitely impact how eventually we govern this country, which pays my personal tribute to him,” he added.

Abubakar won the opposition party presidential ticket by polling a total of 1, 532 votes with the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, coming a distant second with 693 votes.