“Atiku has had his own “emi lokan” moment. He reportedly told members of the Northern Elders Forum in Kaduna that northerners need him, not a Yoruba or Igbo candidate. That’s reckless ethnic baiting. They’re all the same.” American based professor, columnist and popular Nigerian social media influencer wrote on his Facebook page.
“His was even over the top. He outrightly said the average Northerner doesn’t need an Igbo or Yoruba candidate but a Northerner that understands the country bla bla bla. ..” wrote Baba Bala Dihis, another respondent who wrote on Farooq Kperogi’s wall.
When many have come out to condemn that form of campaign, using tribe and religion to canvas for votes, there are few supporters who are supporting Atiku. “Being Vice President for eight year Atiku of all people shouldn’t be seen toying along this line,” wrote George Onmonya Daniel, the publisher of New Issues magazine.
I think it’s a desperation, sort of. Atiku, who struggles to unify his party, has no other option than to count on the northern votes. Because his dearest SE is out of the equation as SS continues to slipway.
“In all sense of honesty, you’d feel for the man Atiku. He waited for this time so badly only for Kwankwaso, Obi, and Wike to destroy his presidential ambition. But this is good because PDP has been a useless party that lacks capacity to operate a simple syntax of crisis management.” says Mohammed Haroun.
It has been a tough and desperate campaign with both the PDP and APC acting desperately and using tribal and religious rhetoric to try to get advantage.
Mr Brown From Bayelsa says “The average northerner prefers a northern candidate/ president and not a yoruba or Igbo president, but I’m a pan Nigerian candidate of Northern extraction…..where is the goof Dede?
Mr Andy Adds
Andy Obuoforibo
@andyRoidO
“The average Northerner needs somebody who is from the North” isn’t a neutral thing to say in Nigeria.
Atiku supporters on Twitter have dragged westerners who want to support BAT based on region. Now a CANDIDATE is doing it.
As a non-Northerner, it gives me pause.
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