My Rift With Obasanjo Over, Says Atiku

ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR AND COMRADE ELLIOT AFIYO, NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, NORTHERN YOUTH LEADERS FORUM DURING A COURTESY VISIT BY THE GROUP TO THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT IN HIS OFFICE, IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY
ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR AND COMRADE ELLIOT AFIYO, NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, NORTHERN YOUTH LEADERS FORUM DURING A COURTESY VISIT BY THE GROUP TO THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT IN HIS OFFICE, IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY

The rift between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo is all over, a statement by the nation’s former number two man’s media office said on Tuesday.

This is even as Atiku stressed that he nurses “no hatred or enmity” against his former boss.

The ex-VP spoke today in Abuja when he received in his office, leaders of the Northern Youth Leaders Forum, a group that recently embarked on a fence-mending mission to reconcile the former president and his deputy.

Led by Comrade Eliot Afiyo, the group had weeks ago met former President Obasanjo in Ota, Ogun State, where he told them that he had forgiven his former vice president.

“I don’t harbor any grudge against my former boss. Yes, we had disagreements in office. These were mere disagreements. I harbor no hatred or enmity against him or anybody. I never had anything against him and I will never have”, the statement quoted Atiku as saying while responding to the group.

He explained that in politics, he has opponents, but no enemies.

“Politics is not war”, he stressed.

Atiku expressed appreciation to the group for successfully brokering peace between him and ex-President Obasanjo, adding that this single effort had singled the leaders of the youth forum as serious-minded people, who are fully prepared to take over the leadership of the country from the older generation.

Baring his mind on the current security challenge confronting the country, Atiku appealed to the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibility.

“If we can go to other countries to rid them of these kinds of problems, it shows that we have the capacity to put this one down immediately so that the suffering of the people can be reduced”, he added.

In an earlier speech, chairman of the group, Comrade Afiyo described the former vice-president as an “honest and forthright leader, a courageous and dogged democrat, a loving and compassionate guardian, an accommodating and caring shepherd and a role model”.

He expressed happiness and satisfaction with the joint decision by both elder statesmen to accede to their request to bury the hatchet, adding that this is a development that will go a long way in healing the rift in the country.