Posted by By MARIAM ALESHINLOYE AGBOOLA, Jos on
Former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, has said that for President Obasanjo to now turn around to be at war with Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he has bitten the finger that fed him.
Former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, has said that for President Obasanjo to now turn around to be at war with Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he has bitten the finger that fed him.
He recalled in Jos during a meeting of the Atiku campaign team with Islamic leaders that when President Obasanjo was transferred from Jos prison to Yola prison it was the same Atiku that made sure he was comfortable by providing for his needs.
'He even put air conditioner in his cell. It was the same Atiku that went with others to bring him out of prison to become the President," said the politician.
Speaking in Hausa, he said when the president was approached about th prospect of becoming president, he rejected on the ground that he did not have money to campaign, Atiku and others ,however, shouldered all the financial responsibility including rescuing his moribund farm from ruins, Rimi said.
He added: 'It is the same presidency that he (Obasanjo) was reluctant to take that he did not want to leave now and because Atiku opposed his remaining life president he had now made him an enemy."
Rimi said he was not sure if it was the effect of the prison that made the president to be making laws that was detrimental to those of them that assisted him to become president.
While stating that it was because of that, that most of them left for Action Congress (AC), he urged the muslim leaders to give Atiku, who is now AC's presidential standard bearer their votes so that he could improve their welfare just as he did when he gave the president AC in his prison cell.
First Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Solomon Lar recalled that when he and Rimi were governors in their states they practised real democracy unlike what was being experienced now in the country.
He said all the democrats had left the house they built for AC and called for the peoples support'
Among the Muslim leaders who responded was the Turaki Jos, Alhaji Inuwa Ali who noted that they were fully aware of the happenings in the country and commended the vice president for weathering the storm till this stage.
He assured him of their support stating that if the Christian leaders in the state could promise him their support, there was no way they would not do the same.
The first Chairman of the Jamatul Nasrul Islam, Sheik Balarabe Da'uud urged the vice president to ensure basic needs like petrol, electricity and roads are provided when he becomes president adding that there should be better relationship with other African nations.