US Visit: Atiku Has Disqualified Himself From Presidential Race – Sagay

Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) at the weekend said former Vice- President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has already disqualified himself from the 2019 presidential election by saying he can rule Nigeria without travelling to the United States of America (USA).
It will be recalled that Atiku, a leading presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made the remark during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service when he was asked how he intended to be Nigeria’s president without visiting the US.
In the interview, Atiku asked whether it was a constitutional provision that one must visit the US before becoming president. “I can be president without going to America,” he said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with DAILY INDEPENDENT, Sagay said judging by the statement, Atiku is already telling Nigerians that he is not fit to be the president of the country.
According to him, it is surprising how a presidential candidate will want to isolate himself and the country from the United States which is the greatest player in the economic and political spheres in the world.

According to Sagay “As we say in law, res ipsa loquitur. The question has already been answered. In my view, when a presidential aspirant or candidate says that he can rule this country without being able to visit the United States or any other major capital of the world, what he is telling us is that ‘I am not qualified to be President’.
“So, Atiku has already answered the question of his fitness for the office by that statement ‘ I can rule Nigeria without going to the United States’.
“What does that mean? Are you barred from the United States? If you are barred, what for? If you are not barred, why don’t you want to go?”.
“The United States is the greatest player in the economic and political spheres of this world. It is the number one country. So, what sort of president are you going to be if for a reason or the other you can’t go or you refuse to go? Why do you want to make the United States your enemy?”
“So, for me he has answered that question. He has disqualified himself from the presidential race” he said.