The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday night, flaunted himself as the best in the field of those vying for the position including President Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku while on a live television programme, The Candidates, with his running mate, Peter Obi, said the experience acquired over the years in government and the private sector makes him the most qualified for the job.
He emphasized on the fact that the current dispensation has been a failure because rather than to deliver on their promises, they have left things worse than they met them.
He said: “In the last four years, we have witnessed the performance of this administration. I believe Nigerians should be able to compare the records of achievements of the previous PDP administration and the current APC administration
“In summary, the APC administration came to address three serious issues, one of which is to improve the economy, to fight corruption and to curtail the Boko Haram in the northeast.
“At the time they came in, Nigeria’s economic performance was much better, our GDP growth was about 6 per cent. Immediately they came in, they took us into reception and we are still getting out of recession, our GDP growth is now about 2 per cent. I don’t think that’s a good performance. “Secondly, when you go in the fight against corruption. Either today or yesterday, the latest Transparency International report said we have not fared better than when the APC administration came in.
“When we come to the issue of security, at the time they came in, the security challenge was restricted to the northeast. Today, it has spread to two other northern zones – north-west and north central. I don’t think that’s a good performance.
“So, on the basis of that, I think Nigerians need to know that the current administration has really not performed to their expectations.” When pressed to speak specifically on his qualifications for the job, he stated: “Why me, because I am bringing a lot on the table. I will like to claim that as far as experience is concerned, I am the most qualified. Secondly, I’m also bringing my business experience which I acquired over a long period almost two decades after leaving public office.
“Thirdly, I believe I am a candidate for the future because I tried to bridge the current generation with the future generation.” On how he would tackle corruption better than what presently obtains, he said the use of Digital technology would greatly reduce corruption in both the public and the private sector. He affirmed that personal contacts in business that could be done easily online were largely responsible for corruption.
Atiku said: “I have said that there is the need for us to go by the adage or the English saying ‘prevention is better than cure.’ We can afford going side by side – punitive measures, preventive measures. “But my point is that we should be able to introduce technology in our public service. We should be able to introduce technology even in the private sector so that the relationship between members of the public and members of government is not personal. Citing the example of the United Arabs Emirates (UAE), he said even though its population was not as educated as Nigerians, they have brought corruption to the barest minimum because of the use of such technology.
Also speaking, Obi remarked that things have gotten worse since the advent of the APC government. He said: “Today, we have record insecurity that this country has not witnessed, we have record unemployment. We have 21 million youths unemployed in their productive age. “Today, we have a record out of school children, 13.5 million. If you look at all indices of development, it’s gotten worse. “Insecurity, we are now number three after Afghanistan and Somalia.
We are so divided today. “If you look at the cumulative expectation of Alhaji Atiku, you know why at this time we need somebody of his experience, a unifier that can bring Nigeria together and I will be there to support him considering the age difference.” He added
