By Oluwafemi Popoola
A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hajia Naja’atu Muhammad has said she would have risked her life to support the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo had APC given the presidential ticket to him.
The former Director of Civil Society in the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the ruling APC, who recently resigned from her position, said she regretted APC’s decision to pick Asiwaju Bola Tinubu ahead of Vice President Osinbajo as its candidate for the election, made this shocking revelation on Sunday during a phone interview with an online media outfit.
The political activist had issued a letter dated January 19, 2023, addressing the National chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, of her intention to dump the party.
She said, “The challenges Nigeria faces required her to continue championing the struggle for a better country with a clear conscience.”
“I am writing to you to intimate you of my resignation from the All Progressive Congress (APC).
“I am by this letter also informing you of my resignation as the Director of the Civil Society directorate of the Presidential Campaign Council of the APC. It has been a great honour working with you to contribute towards the building of our dear nation,” her letter partly reads.
Also, in a separate statement issued on Saturday, January 22, 2023, the Kano politician said she was quitting party politics as the political parties have no ideological difference.
“After much reflection and careful consideration, I have decided to part ways with party politics.
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“Our political parties have no ideological differences and are simply robes that politicians wear to serve their personal needs and interests at any given time,” she stated.
However, in a move that is less than 72 hours after dumping Bola Tinubu campaign, Naja’atu
has met with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Abuja on Sunday evening, January 23, 2023, and pledged her allegiance to the former Vice President ahead of the February 25 presidential election.
In the phone interview, the activist shared her reasons for dumping the ruling party, saying the APC presidential candidate had demonstrated clear symptoms of dementia when she visited him for a private meeting in London.
“Asiwaju that I sat with for two hours, he slept most of the time, it was Bisi Akande that I was really talking to. Most importantly he is not only physically unfit, he is mentally unfit, whether we want it or not, this is the truth. It’s not that I hate him, I respect him because I have heard of one or two people that he assisted which is good”
“But when you talk of leadership of over two hundred million people you know that if you remove tribal sentiments, you know that he is incapable, those that will rule are those around him. This is the reality. He is mentally deranged – I said it!
Expressing her sadness and disappointment over the Vice President’s primary election loss, the political activist queried the Yorubas for failing to adopt the VP as their representative.
“If you had given me Osinbajo, I swear I would have put my life on the line for Osinbajo because he is a better person, he’s open, he’s proactive and he puts his eye on the ball and looks at Nigeria holistically.”
“The few months that he was given to act he changed things, so why should I be sentimental, if the Yorubas were serious why not give it to Osinbajo, who is a pastor, you are doing Muslim-Muslim now, the holy prophet said a just atheist is better than an unjust Muslim,” she said.
Mohammad has, however, revealed she would be supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the presidential election because he is a lesser evil.
