The Nigerian Youths for Atiku (NYFA) has urged Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 President Candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) to stop attacking the reputation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The Director of Communications of NYFA (Nigeria & Diaspora), Mr Dare Dada, made the call in a statement on Friday in Lagos.
Dada spoke against the background of a recent media interview granted by Kwankwaso, in which he accused Abubakar, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of peddling lies at almost 80 years of age.
Kwankwaso, in the interview, had claimed that Abubakar’s camp had falsely told some Northern elders that the ex-VP had reached an agreement with him and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, to take turns at the presidency from 2027.
Dada, who described the claim as untrue, said that the former vice president was not a problem to Kwankwaso’s presidential ambition.
“It is so sad that someone of Kwankwanso calibre will make frantic efforts to denigrate the person of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President of Nigeria, just to score some cheap political points.
“The former Vice-President needs no validation from him to be relevant politically as far as the Nigerian political space is concerned.
“Engaging in such level of falsehood just to make a point is not only ridiculous but demeaning,” Dada said.
He said that such attacks on opposition figures were not good at this time when opposition leaders were supposed to be strategising on an alliance to give Nigerians a better deal in 2027.
Dada said that opposition leaders must shun divisive tendencies and rhetorics, capable of undermining the unity and progress needed in the nation.
The youth leader urged Kwankwaso to rather dissipate energy on issues confronting the Northern Nigeria and speak up.
He added: “The youth of this nation are determined to stand for integrity and ensure that politics of deceit and manipulation are relegated to the past.
“It is our collective belief that politics of honesty and integrity will always triumph over self-serving lies.
“The NYFA remains committed to supporting visionary leaders like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who prioritise national development and the well-being of all Nigerians over personal ambition”.
