The spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dino Melaye, has praised his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for his doggedness and pragmatism.
In a statement on Sunday on his Facebook page, Melaye said the former Vice President has endured decades of the vilest abuse, slander, accusations, and persecution from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its members.
The former Kogi Senator said despite all the abuse and slander from the ruling party, Atiku has stood tall among other candidates contesting for the 2023 presidency.
Melaye said the former Vice President has been probed and investigated and has always come out clean, stressing that Atiku is the presidential candidate best positioned to take back the country.
He said when Atiku was the former Vice President and in charge of the economy, Nigeria successfully negotiated debt forgiveness eliminating over $18 billion in debt and saving over US$37 billion in the Excess Crude Account by 2007.
The statement reads: “Atiku is as phlegmatic as he is pragmatic, as purpose-driven as he is poised. Through it all, he has endured decades of the vilest abuse, slander, accusations, and persecution. He has been Probed and investigated again and again and cleared again and again. He has never wallowed in victimhood. Not even in the most trying times has Atiku lashed out with the churlishness Peter Obi did. He is a profile in courage under fire.
“As Vice President in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, he was responsible for managing the nation’s economy. When they took office in 1999, Nigeria’s GDP grew from a paltry 0.58% to a turbocharged 15.8% in 2002. 8 years where growth never fell below 5.5%. Nigeria was then the fastest-growing economy in the world and Africa’s favourite destination for Foreign Direct Investment.
“Under Atiku’s economic management, Nigeria successfully negotiated debt forgiveness eliminating over $18 billion in debt and saving over US$37 billion in the Excess Crude Account by 2007. Crude oil production peaked at nearly 2 million barrels per day.
“All of this was delivered in the midst of turmoil, and insecurity from Odua Peoples Congress to Niger Delta Volunteers, from Sharia to religious bloodletting. The turmoil that included 5 senate presidents in six years, tensions within the administration itself, federal and state tensions including supreme court cases, and agitation for resource control, yet they governed and delivered for ordinary Nigerians.”
Add Comment