Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, said Wednesday night, he would concede defeat if he loses the February 16 election, provided the exercise is adjudged free and fair.
Atiku, while fielding questions from an audience participation programme, tagged “The Candidates,” a Presidential interactive programme anchored by Kaderia Ahmed transmitted by NTA and TVC News.
This is as he admitted that no politician has faced the kind of investigations he was subjected to while serving as Vice President in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Responding to a question taken from a quote from Obasanjo”s Memoir, “My Watch” wherein the former President raised questions bordering on his character, he said that despite what was written of him by his former boss, he was never found wanting, in spite of the investigations carried out on him.
“Nobody has been investigated by President Obasanjo more than myself. I was investigated but I was not found wanting,” he said.
He, however, promised to deal with incompetent military commanders prosecuting the war against Boko Haram in the North East, even as he vowed to concede defeat, only if he loses a free, fair election.
His running mate and former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi who waded in almost simultaneously drew comparison in football matches which has seen referees reverse decisions earlier taken with the benefit of credible information.
According to Obi, Obasanjo has since forgiven Atiku, having realised he erred about his past opinion on the PDP candidate.
On what stands him out among the pack of other Presidential candidates, Atiku said his experience was a virtue no other candidate could boasts.
He said: “Among us, I am the most experienced. I am also bringing my business experience which I garnered over the years to bear.
On the nation’s justice system, Atiku said: “My quarrel with the Nigerian justice system is the delay. We will be looking at the legislature and the procedures adopted by the judiciary. We will sit down with the judiciary and the legislative arms of government to address the issue.”
On the ongoing insurgency war in the North East, Atiku said he would deal with any military commanders under whose watch Nigerian soldiers face casualties and loss of equipment.
He, however, said he would first provide adequate “equipment”, “welfare” and “training” for the military in its fight against Boko Haram.
He said it would be unacceptable that military commanders would be provided enough resources and they would be derelict at their jobs.
“If I give arms and then you are overrun by insurgents, I will deal with you. Why we are having setbacks is because there are no consequences for nonperformance in the fight against corruption.
”I can only assume that lack of equipment in the fighting troops is one of the problems, so we will make sure that adequate equipment is made available but we cannot contain this challenge if the military keeps loosing weapons to insurgents.”
Military chiefs have faced criticism for their failure to curb incessant attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, as hundreds of troops have been killed over the past six months, while a great deal of equipment had been carted away by the ruthless terrorists.
The PDP presidential hopeful said conceded defeat before and didn’t see why this should be an exception.
