The former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that he is not desperate to become president of the country.
Mr Abubakar, on Tuesday, told BBC Hausa Service that if he was desperate for the exalted seat, he would not have stepped down for late Mashood Abiola in 1992.
According to him, he also stepped down for his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo when all the state governors endorsed him (Atiku) for the presidency in 2003.
The presidential aspirant in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also claimed that in his political pedigree, he only contested for the presidency once.
“I am not desperate for the presidency. In 1992, I stepped down for Abiola. In 2003, when all governors endorsed me against Obasanjo, I stepped down for the OBJ to contest for the second term.
“In 2007, I contested for the presidency despite the fact that Obasanjo didn’t want me to contest. So, based on this history, it is fair to say that I only contested for the presidency one time. This will show you that I am not desperate,” he said.
Mr Atiku, who recently dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for PDP, also disclosed that he wanted to become president in order to tackle the economic woes of the country.
According to him, as a Vice President for 8 years, he saw many ways to fix the problems of the country, adding he could not do anything unless in the position of a president.
“If elected as President, I will woo investors and harmonize the lingering crisis of foreign exchange in the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“You cannot woo investors into this country while there is varying exchange rate of foreign currency. So, I would try to harmonise and subsidize exchange rate for ease of doing business for the investors.
“Though the current government is trying to woo investors, it is not providing enabling an environment in order to run their business smoothly.
“As an entrepreneur, I have an experience of creating job opportunities for the youth. So, I will open more opportunities for the youth to be developed,” he vowed.
