The ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark has doubted the Sincerity of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on his condolence visit to Katsina on the demise of
Hajia Rabi Yar’Adua.
The late matriarch is the mother of late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
The late Musa Yar’Adua defeated Atiku to become the country’s president in the 2007 Presidential poll.
Atiku also lost out in the court.
Clark said the former vice president did not consider his closeness to the Yar’Adua’s neither did he consider the now late Rabi Yar’Adua during the struggle for power in the court of law despite his plea.
Clark in a statement on Sunday said he is finding it difficult where to place the condolence of Atiku, as he stressed that not all sympathisers were genuine.
He stated: “I wholeheartedly enjoin millions of sincere Nigerians to sympathise and mourn the passing-on of our great matriarch, Hajia Dada Habi Yar’adua, at the age of 102.
“I must recognise and appreciate those genuine political leaders, who in sympathy meaningfully paid the family their condolences. However, while other political hypocrite use it in plotting to subdue the family of the dead politically, it is difficult for me to know where Atiku Abubakar stands in this matter.
“Let me remind Alhaji Atiku Abubakar during his campaign in 2007. He visited the mother of the President elect and his former boss and mentor in Katsina. This was something unusual for a Presidential candidate to pay a courtesy call to a mother of a rival Presidential candidate. He did this because of his long association with Yar’Adua family, and in honour of her late son, General Shehu Yar’Adua, and his rival candidate, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who did not object because of any embarrassment that it may cause. In fact he (Alhaji Atiku Abubakar), felt very free and relaxed when he visited the Yar’Adua’s family house and the Government house in Katsina.
“He may recall that after the victory of the President elect, Musa Yar,Adua and he was directed to go to court, and I wrote an open letter to him on May 12, 2007, which was widely circulated to eschew all bitterness in the interest of his long standing relationship with the family.
“I particularly reminded him to remember the memory of his political mentor Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, to show respect to his mother whom he visited when campaigned.
“However, due to his inordinate of ambition to rule Nigeria at all cost, he did not heed to my advice and continue with court actions until he lost woefully.
“Today, some of us are still alive to witness that he is the same person leading the delegations to go and mourn the woman that he did not show respect for, while she was alive. As they say in my own part of Nigeria, “Wonders Shall Never End”.
“However, I have great confidence in the survival of this country with trust for one and other, and there are many notable Nigerians in this category who genuinely and sincerely believe in the loss or gains to the family of the dead or citizens they paid such visit. This is the group I wholeheartedly believes in at any age when it pleases God Almighty to call me home.
“Finally, as an aged father, I must continue to caution this Presidential aspirant to practice politics with good conscience and morality. They should always place the interest of Nigerians who are sufferings from manner of hails in the society above their personal ambitions.”
The former National Commissioner also applauded the performance of the national football team, the Super Eagle for defeating the Republic of Benin at the weekend.
He saod the victory was a healing balm to him.
He said: “On a lighter note, the success of the Super Eagles over Benin Republic helps me to recover from my health condition on Saturday 8th, 2024. That is the country we want irrespective of our region or states we comes from.”
