You Wanted Me To Be Your VP In 2007- Tinubu Counters Atiku’s Claim On Running Mate Saga

The war of word between presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar has taken a new dimension in a space of 24 hours.

Atiku while granting an interview on Arise TV on Friday revealed that he parted ways with Tinubu politically because the latter wanted to be his running mate in 2007.

Atiku had contested for president under the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in 2007. While responding to the question on the choice of Tinubu picking Shettima as his running mate, the former vice president of Nigeria stated it was the issue of Muslim Muslim ticket that led to the fundermental disagreement between him and Tinubu in that year.

He revealed that Tinubu wanted to be his running mate but he told him (Tinubu) that a Muslim Muslim ticket cannot fly in a country like Nigeria. He was not ready to take the risk. 

Because of his refusal to give him the vice presidential slot, Tinubu took a U-turn and formed an alliance with the late president Umar Musa Yaradua who was then the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party. Yaradua later won the election.

Atiku disclossed this on Friday during the live exclusive interview as reason he went on a different way with Tinubu.

Responding to the statement on Saturday, Bola Tinubu described the claim from Atiku as a blatant lie.

Tinubu made the response in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Tunde Rahman.

According to the statement, Atiku is so obsessed with his quest for office and he is willing to render any form of untruth to gain him every single vote that is available. Atiku may want to be president. However, all he has shown is that he is pathological.

Tinubu explained that contrary to Abubakar’s position, he and the then Action Congress of Nigeria had helped him out in 2007 after he was frozen out by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and forced out of the PDP.

He said, “I feel sorry for dear old Atiku. Love of his own ambition has eclipsed his relationship with the truth and an honest account of the past. We formed the AC without his knowledge. When President Obasanjo virtually exiled him from the PDP, we lent him our support by giving him the AC platform for the 2007 election.

“Let me say openly that Atiku offered me the vice presidential ticket in 2007. Let me also say that my religion has not changed. When he offered the position to me, I was a Muslim and I believe he was aware of my religious faith at the time.”