By Sadiq Umar – Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressive Congress (APC) government, describing it as the worst to emerge since the civil war.
Mr. Abubakar spoke on Sunday at a media chat organised under the aegis of The United Nigeria Group (TUNG) in Abuja, said the present administration threw Nigeria to recession of which the nation is yet to come out from.
The former vice president listed some of his past achievements as a civil servant.
He said as vice president, who once chaired the economic team, he assembled a team that Nigerian adjudged as having done well.
Mr. Abubakar said he is a better and experienced presidential aspirant to solve Nigeria's problems.
"So, anyone who can come and lift up our economy to a level where our GDP growth will surpass our population growth, I think is the leader we should at this point in time support and give the opportunity to take our country out of this crisis. And that is what I stand for," he said.
"I assembled the best economic team (as Vice President) with that we did well and Nigerians attested to what we did in those 8 years. We liberalised the economy, we expanded the private sector's participation and tried to limit government to the necessary issues.
"So I believe this country requires all of these that I enumerated. In fact since the civil war I have not seen Nigeria in such a bad shape.
"Our unemployment rate is the highest, over 12 million men and women are unemployed. Our growth is at its lowest, when PDP administration was in power GDP growth rate was about 6%," he said.
He said Nigerians can attest to what his administration did in the eight years when they were in the saddle.
"There is no single aspirant that I have not been to, to ask for his support and also to work together. Fortunately, each and everyone of them bring something to the table different from the other. And I believe it will not be a problem for me bringing them together to participate with me in government and also in whatever capacity they feel they can support the government," he said.