Nigeria’s former Vice-President and the 2019 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar has said that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is the worst since democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999.
He said this on Saturday when he paid a courtesy visit to the former caretaker committee chairman of the opposition party, Ahmed Makarfi.
Abubakar and Makarfi are presidential aspirants of the PDP.
“You can definitely acknowledge that since the return of democracy, we have not had a worst period than now, whether in terms of economy, whether in terms of unity, whether in terms of security, this is the worst time since 1999,” he said.
“The maladministration of the APC government is very evident, we have the highest record of unemployment since 1999, we have the highest inflation, we have multiple exchange rates that discourage foreign investment. We have the highest level of insecurity since 1999.
“People are more angry, people are poorer more than at anytime. Nigeria is rated as the headquarters of poverty in the world. This is unthinkable for a country that is endowed with human and natural resources like ours, just because of lack of clear headed leadership and direction, this is where we find ourselves. So, it is obvious that we just have to change the leadership of this country.”
Abubakar explained that he was in Kaduna on a campaign, describing it as significant.
“I came for campaign train and I feel it is absolutely necessary being, a colleague and former national caretaker chairman of the PDP who brought the current party structures and leadership into existence, we should pay you this courtesy visit and first of all to put it on record and also commend your leadership,” he said.
He commended Makarfi for steering the affairs of PDP in a democratic process that saw to the emergence of the current leadership of the party.
Commenting on the presidential primary of PDP, Abubakar said he would support anyone who picks the ticket.
“I am a democrat and I have always worked with anyone that emerged, so I am ready to work with anyone who emerges through credible elections,” he said.
Makarfi recalled their various struggles in the PDP, adding that he has nothing to lose if Abubakar picks the party’s presidential ticket.
“I am ready to work with any of the fellow aspirants who emerges, that is why I even said that because I am willing to work with some of them, I won’t even step into their states,” he said.
“I am not averse to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar becoming the party’s candidate, just like he is not also averse to me becoming the party’s candidate, it is a family issue, we are talking and we will keep on talking.”
 presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar has said that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is the worst since democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999.){kind=link}