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Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar has paid tribute to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on the 10th year anniversary of his passing away.
Atiku Abubakar in a statement issued by his media office in Abuja on Tuesday, May 5, joined other Nigerians in remembering the life of a man, whose legacies continue to have great impact on them.
He noted that he (Atiku), and indeed, all Nigerians will not forget the undisputable achievements of Yar’Adua’s short-lived administration.
“As each year passes by, we are constantly reminded of his outstanding leadership skills and decision making acumen”, Atiku said.
According to him, Yar’Adua was a man that was never shy of reaching out to people; irrespective of political party affiliations whenever it came down to finding solutions to addressing issues that bedevilled Nigeria as a nation. He added that Yar’adua put the country first before political, religious and ethnic considerations.
“His belief in the oneness of Nigeria contributed to the vigour and passion we saw him display in bringing to a halt, the hostilities mounted on the nation’s mainstay and her people by militants. That singular act, remains a milestone that would forever be remembered in the annals of Nigeria’s political and economic life,” Atiku said.
The Wazirin Adamawa noted that with the creation of the Niger Delta Ministry and the Amnesty Programme, the late president ushered in a new era of peace and stability in the Niger Delta region and by extension, the whole country.
Atiku said that the success story of the Amnesty programme is one that cannot be exhaustively explained in just a few paragraphs, the statement added.
He further recalled the late President Yar’Adua’s accomplishments in the area of pro-masses’ policies. “The reduction of the fuel pump price due to the price reduction in the crude oil market was notable. His far-reaching policies that impacted positively on the lives of the low income families is worthy of emulation,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President, however, noted with nostalgia and regret, his inability to pursue and realise one of his signature policies, The Vision 20, 2020 that was dear to the late president and which inspired confidence and hope in many.
Atiku stressed that among Yar’Adua’s achievements, was adherence to the rule of law, which his administration was nicknamed.
“Yar’Adua’s no nonsense stance on the issue of rule of law, in deed, gave the nation and her inhabitants the feeling that everyone and everybody is equal in the eyes of the law. The rule of law is the lifeblood of any democratic system”, Atiku said.
