The Presidency has responded to comments made by Former Nigeria Vice President, Atiku Abubakar over huge cases of unemployment in Nigeria and for saying that Nigeria is fast degenerating to a failed state.
Speaking in an interview on Channels TV Sunday Politics, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said Atiku was part of the rot in the nation asking that when Abubakar was in government with President Olusegun Obasanjo, where did they take the country?
The PDP presidential candidate however called on stakeholders and elder statesmen to help in rescuing Nigeria which he noted is on the precipice.
READ ALSO: Time To Help This Govt, Help Nigeria – Atiku
Responding Femi Adesina urged critics to cut the Buhari-led administration some slack and give Nigeria some credit. He noted that the nation is making progress, adding that though it may be slower than some want it, things are looking up.
He said in the build-up to the 2015 elections, when the APC was campaigning, the figure that was used by Buhari was that a minimum of 30 million Nigerians were unemployed, particularly youths and that his government was going to do something about it.
He said that was in 2014/2015, saying that Atiku should not make it appear like a genie that just came out of the bottle, as the statistics had always been there.
Adesina stated that Atiku was in power for eight years, saying that now that he is in the opposition, one could not take whatever he said as the gospel.
He said the question is “when Abubakar was in government with President Olusegun Obasanjo, where did they take the country? Where did they leave the country?”
Adesina added that he had seen clips on social media where Atiku said some things they promised to do, particularly on power; and that some people collected some trillions and didn’t deliver.
Former Vice-President is part of the rot this country became. He cannot exculpate himself; he cannot sit in judgment over anybody. He played his part for eight years and they left the country where they left it,” he said.
According to him, Atiku could not like Pontius Pilate, begin to wash himself clean of what Nigeria has become.
