I remain loyal to Buhari – Atiku

A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged his loyalty and support to President Muhammadu Buhari.Mr. Abubakar’s pledge is contained in a statement on Sunday by his media office.

Make no mistake about it Atiku Abubakar holds Buhari in the highest esteem, and would always remain loyal to him, and support him in every endeavour to succeed as president,” the statement signed by the head of the media team, Paul Ibe, said. Mr. Abubakar’s pledge comes amidst rumours that he was a mastermind of the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the senate president. Mr. Saraki, who like Mr. Abubakar is a member of President Buhari’s All Progressives Congress, APC, emerged senate president contrary to wish of his party. He got a block support of opposition senators of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to emerge senate president at an election were 51 APC senators were absent due to a scheduled meeting with Mr. Buhari.
Since his emergence, which was initially rejected by the APC, Mr. Saraki has been making efforts to reconcile with the president.
Mr. Abubakar, who like Mr. Saraki decamped from the PDP to APC before the general elections, described the politics of the emergence of Mr. Saraki as a product “of interplay of politics which is itself in constant motion.”
Read the former vice president’s statement below.
A former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar says it is dangerous for any individual or group in the ranks of the ruling party to constitute themselves into an opposition even before the constitution and take off President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
The former Vice President made the call against the backdrop of developments in the polity, which he notes are interplay of forces and interests that are dynamic, but must not be promoted to the point of being a threat to our democracy and the new administration.
In a press statement released by his media office in Abuja on Sunday, 21 June and signed by Paul Ibe, the Turaki Adamawa while acknowledging that it is legitimate and desirable for individuals or groups to seek to pursue their interest, it must be done with the benefit of sustaining our democracy and promoting equity, fair play and justice in mind.
“Anything to the contrary may jeopardise our hard-earned democracy and constitute a clog in the wheel of the new administration,” Atiku said.
He noted that because of the historic nature of the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari and the arduous challenges ahead to deliver on making Nigeria work for all Nigerians, it is important, especially for members of his own party, to rally behind him in the quest to enthrone good governance, that will spur security and stability, economic and social development, job creation, infrastructure renewal and above all a better life for Nigerians.
The former Vice President urged members of the APC to emulate the unity of all the presidential contestants after the party’s Lagos primaries and support the President to form his government and get to work.