Jonathan, Atiku's Dirty Fight Worsens

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The dirty war of words between President Goodluck Jonathan and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, for the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential ticket   for next year’s election has worsened with “Atiku’s supporters rushing back to court to seek an 11th hour ban on Jonathan and some other supporters branding”  the president a failure.

In turn, the president’s supporters dismissed the latest court action, saying it was doomed to fail, while also calling Atiku a desperate politician bent on causing violence in the country, if he fails to get the ticket of the ruling party.

Atiku’s supporters seem to have a bagful of taunts for the president. Just like the president”s supporters have their own for Atiku. Under the aegis of the   Northern Defence League, Kaduna, the supporters seized   on a comment made by the incumbent governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, Jonathan”s successor in   the state. Sylva had said three years ago:   “When we came in 2007, we met a state that ranked low in every imaginable sphere of the development indices-human   development, education, health, infrastructure etc. The statistics from several local and foreign agencies painted a grim picture. Industrial activities were   also largely non existent. There was neither medium nor large scale industrial establishment. We lagged behind even in areas like fish production and other   acquamarine activities areas where we should naturally have comparative advantage.The natural consequence of all these was low productivity, high   unemployment, marginal participation in the oil and gas sector, frustration and agitation which sadly took a violent turn.”

Now in a statement published in a national daily today, the Atiku supporters   asked Nigerians if they will vote for a president with a poor scorecard as   attested to by   Timipre Sylva.

But Jonathan”s supporters fired back almost immediately by describing Atiku as a desperado who is bent on foisting violence on the country, if he loses the   PDP presidential primaries.

Jonathan”s supporters under the aegies of Movement for Fair Play and Good Governance, quoted Atiku”s statement that “those who make peaceful change   impossible make violent change inevitable” as a sign that the former vice president was desperate to be Nigeria”s president. “And this is a man that calls   himself a democrat. This is the sort of man that is aspiring to rule Nigeria.

“A case of if you can”t get it, destroy it,” Jonathan”s supporters added.

In another advertorial, Atiku”s supporters described Jonathan as former President Olusegun Obasanjo”s surrogate and asked: “Can we entrust the fate of N150  million Nigerians in the hands of a surrogate for Garrison Commander and Third Term Patent Owner, General Olusegun Obasanjo?”

They also accused the president of being inexperienced, according to   Jonathan”s admission in his discussion with the US Ambassador in Nigeria (Wikileaks   Report) that he is not a politician and had limited experience as an administrator. “I am not a politician. I have very limited experience as an   administrator…I was not chosen because I had good political experience. I did not,” Jonathan reportedly told the US Ambassador in the Wikileaks report.

But the President”s supporters fought back by describing Atiku as a wolf in sheep”s skin. “Nigerians, Beware of the Wolf In Sheep”s Skin. The leopard can   never shed its spots,” a group loyal to Jonathan stated in another advertorial.

They asked Nigerians to remember: “President Goodluck Jonathan is not experienced in mismanagement of PTDF funds. We know those who were indicted by the   Nigerian Senate for mismanagement of PTDF funds.

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“President Jonathan is not experienced in corruption and unlimited scandals…Remember Congressman Thomas Jefferson”s case in the US. The congressman is   already serving jail term because of the scam committed with his Nigerian ally.”

The President”s supporters added for effect: “President Jonathan is certainly not experienced in treachery. He is always loyal to his bosses, his supporters   and the true cause…Can we say this of those gallivanting for positions against President Jonathan, especially within the PDP?”

Concerned about the mudslinging between the PDP presidential aspirants, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the weekend said the unprecedented   intra-party acrimony was threatening the very existence of the country.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said never in the history of Nigeria has there been such a bitter   contest for a party”s ticket, as the nation is now witnessing between President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“Threats and counter-threats are flying around. Words like violent change, treason and destabilisation are being used freely, when all that Nigerians would   like to hear are how each candidate will help turn around the fortunes of the country if elected,”” the party said.

ACN said both sides have crossed the line of decency in trying to outwit one another, with various nebulous groups using newspaper advertisements to splash   mud and more mud on the opposing candidate.

It said that because those who constitute the leadership of the morally-deficient PDP have been compromised one way or another, they lack the moral authority   or the conviction to stop what has now become a dogfight.

“Unfortunately, the desperation on both sides is not borne out of the candidates” love for Nigeria, or how prepared they are to lead Nigeria out of the   doldrums to which it has been consigned by a succession of inept leaders, especially in the last 10 years plus of democratic rule.

“Had these candidates been genuinely interested in taking Nigeria to greater heights, their campaign would have been dominated by issues relevant to the   country”s situation – how to solve our chronic infrastructural problems, the worsening power situation and massive unemployment that is threatening the   social order, just to name a few.
“Instead, they are expending critical energy and huge funds on mudslinging, on painting each other as either largely inexperienced and unprepared for the   demands of office, or as chronically corrupt and unfit for high office,” the party said.

It said even far worse than this, speculations are rife that supporters of each candidate will resort to violence if their candidate does not clinch the PDP   presidential ticket in January.
“In other words, it is either they win the ticket or the country goes down. This is a scary development that must be of concern to all Nigerians. We   therefore call on all citizens to shun these candidates and their parties so that our country can at least survive. Without a country, there will be no need   to fight for its leadership,” ACN said.

The problems that the campaign of the leading candidates in PDP have thrown, are far from being over.

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