Politician, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has hailed ex-Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, for displaying a high level of political tolerance and sagacity during his son’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Eze described Atiku as “an iconic, humane, trailblazer and sagacious politician”, who has distinguished himself in the list of Nigeria and Africa’s democrats.
Atiku, who is seeking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential ticket, insisted it was his son’s personal decision to jump ship.
Social media and other news platforms have been awash with the news of the defection of Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The development has so far elicited divergent reactions within political circles, with some political analysts viewing the defection as uncalled for, ill-timed.
But contrary to condemnations in some quarters, Eze said the defection is historic, personal and a big moral and political lesson to President Tinubu and other undemocratic elements alike, who parade themselves as democrats in Nigeria, when they are indeed despots.
In a statement on Tuesday, Eze, an APC Chieftain, opined that the defection of Abubakar, popularly known as Abba, has further exemplified and projected Abba’s father, Atiku Abubakar, as one of Africa’s seasoned democrats, with unblemished democratic principles and accolades.
Eze held that by viewing the defection of his son (Abba) from the opposition PDP to the ruling APC, as solely personal to Abba, the former Vice President has once again raised the bar of democracy and democratic practices in Nigeria to an enviable level.
“By supporting his son’s defection from PDP to APC, Atiku has raised the bar of democracy, thereby showing and proving to the world that he is truly, in words and actions, a refined and principled democrat.
“This singular act has proven Atiku as a man full of political tolerance and sagacity, a beacon of democracy, who has what it takes to collaborate with Amaechi, Obi and others to redefine democratic governance and leadership in Nigeria, come 2027 when ADC may have taken over the reins of governance.
“Does anyone question Atiku’s status as a democrat? Certainly, the answer is no. Indeed, Atiku by all ramifications is a leading democrat in Africa. His democratic credentials have continued to soar high by the day”.
“Atiku has now equalled the Saraki Dynasty in political tolerance, sagacity, acceptability and cohesion.” Chief Eze stated.
The media guru contended that Atiku’s support for his son, Abba, has further diminished President Bola Tinubu’s self-acclaimed ‘democrat status’, in view of his administration’s hounding and intimidation of opposition politicians in the country.
“You are not a democrat when you use state institutions to coerce, intimidate, and witch-hunt opposition elements simply because you want to win an election. Such inhumane and undemocratic acts relegate one to the trash bin of devious, demented and selfish tyrants and power drunks.
In a veiled reference to President Tinubu, the APC Chieftain posited that “You must not be a President to be a democrat and being a President does not make one a democrat.
“Today, Tinubu and his cohorts are doing everything humanly possible not only to coerce opposition political parties but also to dismantle them so that they will not participate in the 2027 general election through the unholy acts of the EFCC and other similar agencies of the government.
“These undemocratic acts depict Tinubu as a man incapable of tolerating dissent voices; and his crude type of politics has and will always place Atiku Abubakar in a vantage position over him, in the annals of democrats.
APC: Abubakar Atiku’s defection- Emulate ex-VP’s political tolerance – Eze to Tinubu
