Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has officially
declared his intention to contest the presidency in 2019 on the platform of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saying he'll do just one term in 2019 if he gets
elected.
In an interview with Thisday, Atiku spoke on a wide variety
of issues, including youth unemployment, the troubled education system,
insecurity, and restructuring.
In his words, 'my agenda is centered on jobs. That is what I
have been doing for the past 40 years. I am first and foremost an entrepreneur.
A job creator. My group of companies has
a workforce of about 50,000. This does not include the hundreds of thousands
that are indirectly employed. I believe in creating jobs, providing
opportunities, being united as one Nigeria, and securing it all with a
military-industrial complex whose raison d’être is ‘Nigeria First.’
Would you commit to
one term only?
Of course, I would! I have said this before on my own
initiative. I believe in it. If I am elected as the President in 2019, I give
an undertaking that I would only do one term. Having said that, let me remind
Nigerians that Buhari also gave such an undertaking in 2011, but he is not
living up to it today. My own case will be different. I am prepared to sign an
undertaking to do only one term.
Are you not just saying this to get the ticket and,
ultimately, get elected after which you would feel no obligation to honour your
words?
I am not Muhammadu
Buhari. I do not make promises I cannot keep. I am assuring Nigerians that I
will keep this promise. I am making it out here in the open. I am willing to
sign a written document. If you or any other Nigerian can come up with an
iron-clad legal document that binds me, I am willing to publicly commit to it.
