Atiku under fire for telling northerners not to support Yoruba or Igbo candidate as president

Naija News reports that Atiku, during an Interactive Session with Arewa Joint Committee held on Saturday in Kaduna State, said Northerners need to vote for him because he is a Pan-Nigerian with a northern extraction that has built bridges across the country.

The former Vice President said Northerners do not need any Yoruba or Igbo candidate as the next President of the country in 2023.

He had said: “What the average Northerner needs is somebody who’s from the north and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country.

This is what the Northerner needs, it doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate, I stand before you as a Pan-Nigerian of northern origin.”

Following the development, some Nigerians took to the micro-blogging platform, Twitter to slam the former Vice President for propagating ethnicity at the event.

While his supporters and PDP members defended the statement, saying the PDP presidential candidate was misquoted.

Below are some of the reactions.

You can ask Waziri Atiku any question. He isn’t above questions. His supporters won’t insult, threaten, or blackmail you. Atiku is running to serve you. Nigerians will be his boss. He will be answerable to you. Asking him questions wouldn’t be considered an affront!#TableShaker

— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) October 15, 2022

Only Atiku is held on a high pedestal as regards unifying the country. He’s the candidate from the strongest voting region in the country—If he decides to go fully tribal—there won’t be any contest. Your own candidate plays the tribal and religious card per time but you ignore.

— Olushinaola (@Shinaspeaks) October 15, 2022

Tinubu can shout Emilokan in the South West, Peter Obi almost turned himself to Usher while lobbying church votes in the South but Atiku can not speak to his own people in the North as a Northerner.

— Premier (@SodiqTade) October 15, 2022

Atiku said & I quote; “Northerners need me, not a Yoruba or Igbo candidate.”

This is PDP’s so-called UNIFIRE? Wike is right, Atiku is an ethnic bigot. 💔😱 pic.twitter.com/UZtX2Zi0EF

— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) October 15, 2022

WATCH!👇This is the height of desperation & daredevilry on the part of Atiku! This is so horrendous, so horrible & so thoughtless for Atiku Abubakar to use ethnicity to campaign, saying the North does not need a YORUBA OR IBO candidate? My God! Atiku needs to quit the race TODAY! pic.twitter.com/UXfuRMho9G

— Festus Keyamo, SAN (@fkeyamo) October 15, 2022

Atiku was invited to Arewa for an interactive session and instead of telling them what he’d to do to boost the potential of Arewa, he decided to play a dangerous ethnic politics by saying Northerners need him not a Yoruba or Igbo candidate.

— NG of the Good Life🎉 (@PrideOfAPeacock) October 15, 2022

Atiku said the North should not vote for a Yoruba or Igbo Candidate but a Pan Nigerian from northern Origin.

Section 97(1) of the Electoral Act makes it criminal to campaign based on religion or tribe.

Atiku Abubakar is a criminal, yeah? #AtikuTheDivider pic.twitter.com/nux3gDIndR

— Chudé (@ChudeMedia) October 15, 2022

Nigerians from North to South must reject Atiku Abubakar.

We all must unite to save Nigeria from politicians who are willing to destroy us for their selfish political gains.

Buhari is a Northerner. The North don’t need a Northerner, the North needs a competent leader.

— Dr Hafsatu Danladi (PhD) (@NigeriaRenew) October 15, 2022

Atiku is playing tribal card in the North then playing the “Unifier” card in the South.

A con man is a con man!

— Chris (@Topboychriss) October 15, 2022

Atiku went to the north and told northerners that they don’t need an Igbo or Yoruba candidate. This same man went to South East and told the igbos that they should support him after which they would have a shot at the presidency.
Atiku Abubakar is very deceitful and no UNIFIER❌

— NK£M #PeterObi2023 (@Nkemchor_) October 15, 2022

The gloves are off, and at least Atiku is beginning to correct the delusion of his supporters that called him a Unifier.

“Not a Yoruba or Igbo President”??Man has started full ethnicity campaign, and I’m glad he got tired of camouflaging his bigotry with WaZoBia marriages😊😊

— Cross˚ (@Elkrosmediahub) October 15, 2022

Dear Atiku Abubakar, your brand of divisive politics is what keeps setting the North backward. Your statement today has infuriated a lot of Northerners.
You honestly do not embody the spirit of unity you claim to stand for.

2023 will not be business unusual.

— Kowa Ishaku Yahaya (@Yahaya_IV) October 15, 2022

A huge platform like the Arewa consultative forum gave Atiku an opportunity to sell himself to the North & all he could come up with was “you don’t need an Igbo or yoruba president”

No economic, security or infrastructural benefits; just straight up bigotry 🤮#AtikuTheDivider

— KWEKU THE HUSTLER, FOCUSED ON SELLING PETER OBI (@urchilla01) October 15, 2022

Baba Atiku don talk him own. Northerners in 2023 need a Northern candidate not Yoruba or Igbo. Clear talk, no mistake.

The only clowns are the Southerners trying to spin what everybody can hear clearly.

— Mitchell Targaryen (@Ambrosia_Ijebu) October 15, 2022