The Proactive Coalition of Nigerians (PROCON) has faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s persistent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election lost out to President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former vice president on Sunday suggested how he would have carried out reforms in the foreign exchange market and the removal of fuel subsidies if he were the president.
He touted a gradualist approach to the removal of fuel subsidies among other alternatives.
But PROCON in a statement signed by its national president David Onuh, Thursday, observed that Atiku’s recent policy advice to President Tinubu is a desperate attempt to revive his failed campaign.
Onuh described Atiku’s demand that the government embrace his platform as very disrespectful of the people’s choice, saying the former vice president needs to “sit down in Dubai quietly till his next routine of Presidential campaign”
He said Nigerians rejected Atiku’s leadership style in the 2023 elections, recognizing its incompatibility with national progress while praising President Tinubu’s vision for social advancement, inclusivity, regional unity, and economic diversification.
PROCON urged Atiku to respect the democratic process and allow the current government to implement its vision.
Noting that the choice of Tinubu over Atiku was a collective effort by the Nigeria populace, Onuh argued that Atiku’s brand of leadership was not only unfit for Nigeria’s present challenges but also carried many risks of selfish interests over the national good.
According to him, Atiku who had previously held the second-highest office in this country, had his tenure so much left to be desired.
“This his blatant attempts to reassert himself into the national dialogue with claims that the government should adopt his manifesto exposes a disconnect between his selfish priorities and the needs of the citizens,” the group said.
“We are sorry to tell him that, Nigerians moved past his vision for a reason, and his latest appeals will not resonate with a public that has already weighed his leadership style and found it lacking, let alone to be considered.
“Nigeria is obviously better off without Atiku if one of its most seasoned elders and past presidents ever declined to support him at any point in time.”
