Atiku reveals friendship with Tinubu despite political differences

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Atiku and Tinubu

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, revealed that he still has friendships with Bola Tinubu, his biggest rival and the nominee for the All Progressives Congress.

Atiku made this statement, in an exclusive interview with Arise TV that was broadcast on Friday morning, July 22.

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When questioned about his friendship with former Lagos State governor Tinubu, Atiku said that despite their political disagreements, they still get along well.

I’m still a friend of him and being friends with him doesn’t mean we can’t have our political differences.

On Peter Obi

When asked about the potential threat that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party, would pose to his bid for the presidency in the 2023 elections, Atiku explained that Obi’s social media popularity and presence won’t bring him (Obi) victory.

Despite Obi’s candidacy being a social media hit and being widely accepted, he pointed out that the LP still has no representatives in either the National Assembly or the government.

The Labour Party does not have a government in any state or anyone in the National Assembly. Peter Obi is not a threat. They said they have 1 million votes in Osun on social media. Meanwhile, 90 percent voters are not voting through social media.

On Choice Of Okowa

Atiku also reacted to the controversy surrounding the choice of his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, and why he did not choose the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Atiku had after announcing Okowa as his running mate clarified that he picked the Delta governor because he (Okowa) had the qualities to be a President, adding that he “is a President-in-waiting.”

Meanwhile, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on June 29, 2022, during an interview on Arise TV, said Wike, and others who backed the Rivers governor for the PDP vice-presidential ticket slot deserved a detailed explanation from the party’s presidential candidate on his choice of running mate.

But speaking, Atiku said he chose who he felt could deliver among the nominees that were presented to him.

He added that Wike was not rejected and that he only picked who could deliver.

Atiku said;

I didn’t reject Wike, I picked who can deliver. Wike is brilliant and tenacious. Going by history, I picked an Igbo as running mate in 2007, in 2019. I still picked an Igbo as running mate for 2023.

The committee that presented the three nominees was chaired by the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. They recommended three people, so I picked one. People should be fair to me and state the facts.

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