The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a onetime Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been at the receiving end of harsh criticism over his claim that security operatives allegedly harassed him upon his return to Nigeria from Dubai on Sunday
Atiku had hinted that he was intimidated by security agents.
He tweeted: “I arrived to Abuja this morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.”
Reacting, however, the Africa Civil Rights Centre, described Atiku’s claim as a cheap blackmail just to get sympathy.
Dr. Enemaku Ocheni, Executive Secretary of the group, said the PDP candidate was only being chased by the ghost of the past.
The group in a statement warned Atiku to stop crying foul except there is something he and the PDP were hiding from Nigerians.
He said, “The latest antic of Atiku and PDP is to whip up a storm in a teacup over the routine screening reportedly conducted on him by security operatives upon his return to Nigeria from Dubai on Sunday.
“He has with the PDP and a retinue of hirelings made so much noise about the search on a scale that sought to present law enforcement agents as singling him out. One of his hirelings even issued a substance-induced sounding statement claiming there was an attempt to frame Atiku by dropping sacks of foreign currency on his aircraft, only someone that once carried out such operation can allude the same to another person.
“It is most unfortunate that Atiku Abaubakar that once held the nation’s number two position for eight years knows no better than to disparage security agencies that are on legitimate duty; he omitted to explain to his supporters that the same DSS he is disparaging is proving security cover for him as per tradition.
“At a time when several of his political associates in the PDP have been severally fingered in using their convoys to provide safe passage for Boko Haram members and even ferrying weapons for them, it is not out of place to conduct random search on persons entering the country.
“Our advice is for Atiku to stop the victimhood game that he played when he attempted to supplant his boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006. Nigerians now properly understand him as a desperado that always attempt to ride on the wave of populism by presenting himself as a victim – in the Obasanjo years, he returned from abroad with a cast on his knee so this time around he changed strategy to claim he was searched.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency on Sunday reacted to the alleged harassment of Atiku by security agents.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in a series of tweet, denied the alleged harassment.
Sirika maintained that Atiku’s claim was mischievous as the checks by the security agents were mandatory. - Daily Post
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