The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is desperate and not fit to be in charge of the country.

The ruling party said this while responding to a comment credited to Atiku. The former vice-president had said northerners need a president who hails from the north.

In a statement on Sunday, Felix Morka, APC spokesman, said Atiku’s comment is an attack on the country’s unity.

Morka said the PDP standard bearer is seeking to inflict Nigeria with discord and strife that he has allegedly inflicted on his party.

“If, as Atiku believes, the average Northerner needs a northern president now, after a northern president, when will they ever not need a northern president? What does Atiku think the average southerner needs? Why is it about what the average Northerner needs, or even what the average Southerner may need? Why is it not about what Nigeria and Nigerians need? Nigerians need bold and visionary leadership anchored on a firm commitment to transcendental national unity, over and above ethnic or sectional obsessions,” he said.

“Atiku’s words ring loud of extreme and mindless desperation, and such an extremely desperate man cannot and must not be entrusted with the most important job of President – a job whose core duty is that of leading, uniting and working in the best interest of all in an ethno-religious pluralistic society as Nigeria.

“Our country does not need this kind of highly inflammable rhetoric now or ever. What is even more confounding is that this Presidential Candidate of the PDP has touted himself to be on a mission to unify Nigeria.

“The cat has finally been let out of the bag of him that pays lip service to unity while working hard to undermine our national unity. Our Northern citizens and patriots know far better than what Atiku thinks, and will not walk down that slippery slope with him.”