Shettima goofed, Atiku was the one that rescued Tinubu’s political career from collapse – Paul Ibe 

 

Paul Ibe, the media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the claim by Kashim Shettima that it was President Bola Tinubu that rescued the political career of his principal. 

 

Shettima recently said when Atiku was driven out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even as a sitting vice president, he ran to Tinubu who offered him the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to contest for the presidency.  

 

“He (Tinubu) has been a veritable sanctuary for victims of political witch-hunts. When Atiku Abubakar was harassed in the People’s Democratic Party, it was Bourdillon he ran to for support and it was in Bourdillon that he got the needed support and later contested for the presidency of this country,” Shettima said. 

 

But in a statement on Sunday titled: ‘Shettima goofed: Tinubu actually benefited from Atiku’s goodwill,’ Paul Ibe said the real beneficiary of Atiku’s goodwill was Tinubu. 

 

The statement reads: “Vice President Kashim Shettima goofed when he claimed that former Vice President of Nigeria, @atiku, benefited from @officialABAT goodwill when he was being “persecuted” in the PDP.

 

“Truth be told, it was Tinubu that actually benefited immensely from Atiku’s goodwill.

 

“But for Atiku’s support, hinged on his pro-democracy instincts and rule of law, Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos would have been rough with a wide possibility of termination of his political career.”