Group accuses Atiku of attempting to taint Buratai’s ‘integrity’

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has berated Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of attempting to taint Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff.

Atiku had listed Buratai among 30 persons he claimed were corrupt and working for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Reacting, the centre said it was wrong for Atiku to drag the army chief into partisan politics.

Osaloni Osadua, executive director, while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.

He warned the PDP presidential flagbearer against peddling falsehood that could cause injury to the integrity of others,

“The pressure he is under, from political barometric as of today, is beyond the realization that he is set to lose the presidential election when it holds in a few days from now, the pressure is coming from the appreciation that the result of the polls will permanently and conclusively retire him from politics,” he said.

“Rather than heralding a befitting end to an illustrious political career, this damning retirement would demystify Atiku Abubakar’s in the annals of Nigeria’s political history.”

“The PDP presidential candidate, in fairness to him having not been ever arraigned talk less of being convicted, goes around with the burden of corruption, heavy enough for himself to have acknowledged that allegations of corruption is the heaviest burden he has to carry in his failed quest to rule Nigeria.

“Even though he has now embarked on a revisionism, Atiku Abubakar’s former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, when he has prime contact with the PDP current candidate described him as the most corrupt Nigerian there was. We sympathize with him that he has to go around with this kind of tarnish.

“But it beats the imagination that this same Atiku Abubakar, irrespective of how desperate he has become in his bid to fend off an enforced retirement, is now wildly accusing other upstanding Nigerians of corruption. Our initial thought was that overzealous aides went beyond their briefs to make such accusations on behalf of Atiku Abubakar but we have since learnt that he is in on the game after waiting a considerable time without him walking back the release of the list by one Phrank Shaibu, who is said to be his Special Assistant on Public Communications.

“With the names that made Atiku’s list of corrupt persons connected to President Muhammadu Buhari, even the electorates that will cast the losing votes for him should at this point begin to question the extent to which their choice candidate has succumbed to psychosis. The list confirmed that Atiku Abubakar’s desperation no longer has much to do about winning but is now the manifestation of a man that has become embittered by the prospect of losing to the extent that he maniacally wants to drag down everyone with him.

“CESJET warns that attempts by desperate politicians to drag the Army as an institution into politics should be totally discarded as by well-meaning Nigerians will resist such plot using all permissible means.”