I Knew I Would Lose The 2007 Presidential Election – Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku AbubakarFormer Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday said he knew he would lose the 2007 presidential election, yet was determined to give “a gift of legitimacy” to democracy through his participation in the poll.The former Vice President, who lost to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, said he would never stop fighting for democracy – win or lose.

“I went out, voted, went home and waited for my loss, as expected.

“I knew that while I was going to lose a battle, I had won the war – a war to preserve the sanctity of our democratic process,” Atiku said in a statement by his Media Adviser, Garba Shehu.

Atiku explained that after struggling for decades with other patriots to enthrone democracy and wrest power from the military, the choice to defend Nigeria’s democracy was non-negotiable for him.

He said he was faced with a choice of remaining in office as vice president for much longer or defending democracy and the Constitution.

Atiku said: “The tough, correct choice – our constitution – was the path I chose. And in doing so, I shunned an offer that could have kept me in high office for a potentially long period of time.”

The former vice president said he believed Nigerians would see his position as a battle to save the soul of the country and, therefore, judge him fairly.

But he got what he did not bargain for, he said.

Atiku added: “What I did not see coming was one of the best executed smear campaigns aimed at tarnishing everything I had legitimately worked to achieve in our struggle for democracy.

“The aggrieved power mongers threw every contrived accusation they could at me, from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to the National Council of Privatisation (NCP) committee.

“Despite constant and total vindication at every turn by our courts, in the end, battles are won and lost in the court of public opinion. And despite zero evidence or guilt, these opponents of democracy remain unyielding in their attempts to smear my hard-earned reputation.

“It never mattered that I had a history of business successes prior to entering politics. It never mattered that from the moment I bought my mother a home as a 14-year-old boy, I was running various businesses to provide for my family.

“It never mattered that as a Customs official, I maintained one of the best ever records of returns to government and always beat my revenue targets. You do not do that by ‘taking’.

“Further, during the so-called “53 suitcases” saga in the 1980s, it was my record of service that saved my job. In the face of intimidation by a ruthless military government, I did my job without fear or favour.

“After leaving the Customs, I used my knowledge and drive to build a very successful string of business ventures.

“It never mattered that my asset declaration forms, which were filed prior to entering office, showed my successful business record of creating jobs and opportunities in Nigeria.

“What mattered was that I was wealthy. And after the smear campaign and various frivolous charges levelled at me by the aggrieved power-mongers, public opinion ruled against me.”