2019 presidency: Atiku reacts to Osinbajo’s claim of Buhari handing over to South West in 2023

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has blasted Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for saying that presidency would return to the South West in 2023.

Atiku said it was now very clear that the Vice President and President Muhammadu Buhari were on a mission of deceiving the people of the South east and South west region.

Atiku was reacting last week’s statement by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, that the South-East will get its turn in 2023 after President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in office.

While representing Buhari at an event in Owerri, the SGF told the gathering that the President would hand over the reins of power to a South-Easterner.

Similarly, Osinbajo had also told leaders of the South-West to support the re-election of President Buhari so as to get the Presidency in 2023.

Atiku, however, warned the two geo-political zones to take their destinies in their hands.

Atiku spoke through a statement by the spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Kassim Afegbua on Sunday.

The former Vice President accused the ruling APC of trading with 2023 in a bid to return to power at all cost.

He added, “In its desperation to hang on to power, despite its abysmal failure so far, APC and the Presidency have resorted to trading with the lure of 2023 Presidency, promising South East and South-West of 2023 Presidency in exchange for votes.

“Giving out two promises has exposed the insincerity and dubious intention of the Buhari-led Federal Government with the people of the South-East and South-West geopolitical zones with empty promises of bequeathing power to the two zones at the same time in 2023.

‘’This is why Nigerians cannot take the APC and the Buhari Presidency seriously any longer, as we prepare for the 2019 election.

“Two principal officers of the same government cannot be fooling Nigerians with vainglorious promises all in the name of re-election.

“Such discordant tunes by first and second citizens of our dear country have exposed lack of synergy, and display of double standard and double-speak by chieftains of a government that has continued to display wanton desperation to hold on to power at all cost in the face of monumental failure.

“How can the President be promising South-Easterners the Presidency when his Vice President is also promising the South-Westerners same position in 2023, all in the name of 2019 re-election?.

“This is a clear show of deceit, desperation, crass insincerity and hypocrisy of the highest order. This is a clarion call on the South-Easterners not to trust such carrot being dangled before them as it has become obvious that this government neither fulfils promises nor keeps any covenant.

“The same government cannot promise the Igbo and Yoruba at the same time if it were sincere about the shape of politics of 2023 Presidency.

“This government has an uncommon reputation for deceit, lies, insincerity and hypocrisy, especially when it has to do with its 2019 re-election bid.”