The Campaign Strategist of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate for the 2019 election, Phrank Shaibu, has lashed out at the All Progressives Congress (APC, describing the party as “one of the biggest disasters to have befallen Nigeria.”

While describing President Muhammadu Buhari’s three and a half years in office as “a sad reminder of Nigeria's arrested development since 2015 when the clueless party came to power”, he said there was nothing in #TheAtikuPlan# to suggest a hidden agenda of two terms in office for Atiku Abubakar.”

Shaibu’s explanation was contained in a statement in reaction to a story published in a national newspaper.

He said that the Atiku document was a product of 18 months of well researched and widely consulted hard work on how to move Nigeria forward.

The document, according to him, was also to speed up the pace of development across all the critical sectors of the economy.

Shaibu explained that the policy document was authored to cover up till 2025 and beyond to address the volatility and unpredictability of global trade and economics, as most progressive leaders who understand the intricate nature of growing their economies, draw up 10 years strategic vision plans for their nations.

While explaining that government was a continuum, he said a sound and effective development plan could serve several leaders who are desirous of enhancing the welfare and well being of their citizens.

He cited three examples from Nigeria’s recent past where the current administration continued to implement some major projects and policies of the immediate past PDP administration.

He listed the projects to include Railway projects, the implementation of the TSA and BVN financial policy, by the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which were actually inherited by the sound development plan of the President Goodluck Jonathan era.

Shaibu said: “Sadly, the mudslinging intentions and diabolic attempts to divert the campaign away from the real issues that continue to bedevil the country, has been given a new twist by the purveyors of negative propaganda.

“This category of persons have simply overlooked the salient points contained in the My plan to get Nigeria working again document to invoke ethnic and divisive sentiments by insinuating that the document has exposed a hidden agenda of a second term plan by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and by so doing are directly provoking the South East or even south west into erroneously believing that they have no stake in 2023.

“With all these, it is obvious that My Plan to get Nigeria working Again, is indeed a comprehensive work plan that has been structured to outlive Atiku’s stay in office, even if it was to become a two-term presidency. The mention of 2025 and 2030 as delivery dates for some of the critical components of the plan is a clear demonstration that Atiku’s vision reflects the sincerity of his intentions to achieve a better more progressive Nigeria and the generosity of the mind of a good leader who thinks ahead in a selfless manner for common good.

“What Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has done is simply acknowledging that Nigeria will exist beyond his tenure as such he has set down a road map to make the work easier for those that will take over and continue the good work of reviving Nigeria from its comatose state under Buhari and the APC.

“Indeed, working with a man like Peter Obi, who incidentally is from the South East and whose sterling track record as a financial guru and economic master-strategist, speak volumes for the expansive nationalistic vision of Atiku Abubakar.”

The campaign strategist called on the All Progressives Congress to apologise to all Nigerians for bringing them nothing but suffering of unquantifiable proportion since 2015, and to make a solemn pledge not to have anything to do with governance, especially with the 2019 elections fast approaching.

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