The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, was on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, embroiled in a war of words with former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili.
Background story: Atiku, while speaking at an event organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), said as the head of the economic management team while he was Vice President (1999-2007), he was instrumental in designing a private sector revival strategy and advocated for the opening of the economy for private sector investments in several sectors — ideas he said handed Nigeria “tremendous progress”.
What Ezekwesili said: But Ezekwesili, a supporter of Peter Obi, presidential flag-bearer of the Labour Party, who served in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration along with Atiku, said the PDP candidate told “absurd lies”, adding that Atiku was “never the Head of the Economic Management Team”.
Atiku’s campaign replies Ezekwesili: But quote-tweeting the erstwhile Mines and Steel Minister’s claim, Paul Ibe, the media aide to Atiku slammed the female politician for resorting to “jaded ‘aproko’ pettiness”.
Meanwhile: Chatham House disclosed that Atiku has remained silent to their invitation.