Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s swift assent to a bill prohibited women trafficking and child labour in Nigeria in 2003.
Atiku, who served as Obasanjo’s vice president, said this at an event to celebrate the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF), 25th Anniversary in Abuja.
The foundation was established by Atiku’s wife, Amina Titi Atiku Abubakar.
In his speech, Atiku said Obasanjo’s assent to the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Bill in 2003, fostered the environment that energised WOTCLEF’s mission, reinforced democratic values and delivered hope to downtrodden communities.
“I take this moment to express our profound gratitude to members of both Chambers of the National Assembly, for their decisive action on July 7, 2003, in passing the WOTCLEF-sponsored private member bill that laid the foundation for the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act 2003, which birthed NAPTIP. This legislative milestone prioritized the protection of our most vulnerable citizens.
“Furthermore, I want to extend our profound and most heartfelt appreciation to President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999–2007) for his swift assent to the WOTCLEF bill, which prohibited women trafficking and child labour in Nigeria. His courageous leadership fostered the environment that energized WOTCLEF’s mission, reinforcing our democratic values while delivering vital hope to our downtrodden communities.”
Atiku had posted a video of him and Obasanjo, walking into a hall where the celebration of WOTCLEF Foundation’s 25th Anniversary in Abuja.
He served as Vice President to Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.
Their relationship however went sour in the build up to the 2007 general election, resulting in a political cum legal battle and Atiku’s exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Obasanjo, who went on scathing remarks about Atiku in his book, worked against his estranged vice president’s bid for the 2007 presidency.
Atiku, in turn, made unsavory comments about his former boss.
Although the former president has since made a series of conciliatory moves towards his former boss, there are still insinuations that Obasanjo hasn’t forgiven Atiku.
However, Atiku, on his X handle, posted a video of him and Obasanjo walking into the hall where the WOTCLEF event was held.
The video showed the guests cheering at the sight of the two former leaders walking into the auditorium together.
Commenting on the video, Atiku said “It’s a profound privilege to stride alongside our esteemed former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, into the vibrant celebration of WOTCLEF Foundation’s 25th Anniversary in Abuja. This moment is a testament to the unwavering support the Foundation has received from President Obasanjo.”
His post however attracted mixed reviews by netizens, many of whom insinuated the meeting Obasanjo and Atiku might be related to the latter’s speculated presidential bid in 2027.
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