Former Vice President and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) hopeful, Atiku Abubakar, has said that Nigeria’s leadership must be changed in 2019 for the country to move forward.

The former number two citizen made this assertion while he paid a courtesy visit to Senator Ahmed Makarfi in his residence on Saturday.

According to him, he was in Makarfi’s residence with his campaign team as part of his continue consultations ahead of the September national convention of the party.

He commended Makarfi who is also a presidential aspirant of the PDP for steering the party through turbulence period when he held sway as the party national caretaker committee chairman.

He noted that Nigeria is currently at a crossroad and that there was a need for the aspirants and well-meaning Nigerians to rescue the country from insecurity and poverty.

According to Atiku, “Nigeria is at a crossroad, this is the worst time since 1999 democratic system.

“The maladministration of the APC government is very evident; we have the highest record of unemployment since 1999, we have the highest inflation, we have multiple exchange rate that discourages foreign investment. We have the highest level of insecurity since 1999.

“We are disunited this time more than ever before, people are angrier, people are poorer more than at any time. I mean, if Nigeria is the headquarters of poverty in the world.

“This is unthinkable, for a country that is endowed with human and natural resources like ours, just because of lack of clear-headed leadership and direction, this is where we find ourselves.

“So, it is obvious that we just have to change the leadership of this country.
When asked whether the PDP has the magic wand to change the country’s status quo, Atiku said, “of course, have you forgotten that PDP governed this country since 1999 and we witnessed progressive development in all sectors of the economy.

Speaking on his visit to Makarfi, he said: “we are all members of the same family and we are working together to ensure that PDP produces the best candidate for the next election, so that, PDP can be returned to power.

“I am a democrat and I have always worked with anyone that emerged, so I am ready to work with anyone that emerges through credible elections.

“Speaking about consensus, he said, the consensus is their “political family issue”. When we close the doors and come out with a consensus, it will not be surprising.”

Responding, Makarfi reminded the former VP for their various struggles working for the party in the past, noting that Atiku is capable and qualified to lead the party.

Senator Makarfi said he has nothing to lose if Atiku picks the party’s presidential ticket.

“I am ready to work with any of the fellow aspirants that emerges that is why I even said that, because I am willing to work with some of them, I won’t even step into their states.

“I am not aversed to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar becoming the party’s candidate, just like he is not also aversed to me becoming the party’s candidate, it is a family issue, we are talking and we will keep on talking”.

• Text (excluding headline) sourced from a Tribune report