Atiku had said both Obi and Kwankwaso were not threats to his chances of winning at the February 25 poll.
A Nigerian activist and social critic, Aisha Yesufu, has come hard on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, describing his ambition to become Nigerian president in 2023 as desperate.
Aisha made the allegation in a two-minute video that has gone viral in reaction to the report that was credited to Atiku that he was ready to work with the candidates of the New Nigerian People Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Labour Party’s Peter Obi after meeting with the duo to support his ambition in the forthcoming elections.
Atiku had stated this in a 15-minute interview with BBC Hausa service on Tuesday.
Speaking with the interviewer in the Hausa language, Atiku had said both Obi and Kwankwaso were not threats to his chances of winning at the February 25 poll.
“Although, I see no threat in any of them but we are in talks, and the discussion might yield a positive result that will see one of them coming.”
But reacting to Atiku's interview, Aisha Yesufu berated the former Nigeria's Vice president, in a video tweet saying "Atiku Is Desperate. PETER OBI is NOT stepping down for nobody.”
She said, "You read the report where Atiku was saying that he is in talks with Peter Obi and Kwankwaso. So funny. The desperation is really, as in absolutely really, trying to make it. Which talk? No. Never is and there will never be any talk, Peter Obi is leading, he is leading presidential candidate; even the poll that they are doing is showing it.
"The fact is that APC; they are all quarrelling, they are all over the place, you can see the handwriting on the wall and even with more people are Obidiently PDP, they tell you for the presidential; they will vote Peter Obi but for the other positions they will vote for their candidates. The same thing with the supporters of APC but I have not seen the supporters of APC as I see supporters of PDP.
"And in APC, those ones that were rooting for Osinbajo; they said is Peter Obi they are voting for. So it is really surprising that Atiku himself can be so desperate and trying to get millage and trying to test the might of his people. The first time I heard people reaching out to me; I was like this is rumour until I realised that Atiku himself was the one that said it, so the desperation is really, really getting at him.
"So Obi-Datti supporters keep going and we'll get this power by the Grace of God. And we are going to have a Nigeria that will work for everyone and most important thing is that those people that have held Nigeria for almost 60 years; finally, Finally, Their reign will soon be over."
SaharaReporters had reported that Peter Obi had spoken up against Atiku's claim, saying that he was not stepping down for any candidate and that he was a frontrunner in the forthcoming elections.