Labour Party Demands Apology From Atiku Over Comment Telling Northerners Not To Vote For Igbo, Yoruba Candidates

Posted by Thandiubani on Mon 17th Oct, 2022 - tori.ng

Tanko stated that it is wrong for anybody whether in a position of authority or not to use the ethnic card as a yardstick or campaign tool in Nigeria at the moment.

The Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar has been asked to apologise to Nigerians over his ethnocentric comments.

The Chief Spokesman of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, stated that it is wrong for anybody whether in a position of authority or not to use the ethnic card as a yardstick or campaign tool in Nigeria at the moment.

He said, “What we observed is that it is unfair for somebody who had been in the saddle of leadership of this country to play the ethnic card as a way of generating support.

“Our principal has made it clear long before now that even when people are trying to play ethnic agenda, nobody should look at him as an Igbo candidate. Our movement is a Nigerian project for the Nigerian people.

“So, in the interest of our democracy and unity of this country, which of course we represent, I think the former vice-president should apologise to Nigerians in such a way that it would show him as a true leader of a free country.

“Our principal has made it clear too that if there are issues that have to do with his co-candidate, he would be able to answer them personally. I know he actually prefers to speak on issues like this personally.”

The media aide to the LP Presidential candidate, Emeka Obasi, told The PUNCH that he was shocked to see an elder statesman playing such an ethnic card.

He said, “I saw the video of Atiku’s ethnic sentiment but I didn’t want to believe he said those things. So, I waited in vain hoping he will deny saying them before I comment.”