A lawyer and former National Secretary of the Labour Party, LP, Olukayode Ajulo, has stated that being a former Vice President does not automatically qualify the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to contest for the presidency.

According to the lawyer, it was even former President Olusegun Obasanjo that inspired the thought that Atiku is not Nigerian when he raised the issue of the former Vice President being of ‘dubious parental background’ in his book, ‘My Watch.’

“My position is still unchanged, and that is, that Atiku was a vice president is not an automatic qualification to contest for the presidency.

“Long repetition of wrong occurrences, won’t make it right. In fact, in Australia, one of their members of Parliament had to resign when it was discovered that his nationality was questionable.

“I don’t think ours is beyond rectification and that is why the issue is being raised. I was a student when Atiku became a vice president. .

“As a lawyer, who must be on the right side of the law, I know my limits particularly when a matter is before the court; and as a counsel to one of the parties in the election, whatever I am going to say is going to be circumspect to the point that it will not prejudice the matter before the court.

“It is so clear beyond conjecture that the APC raised a lot of fundamental preliminary objections especially on the claim of Atiku that he has right to be nominated and voted for whereas the constitution has a special condition that to be able to be voted for as the president you must be a Nigerian citizen by birth.

“Therefore, your right must be exercised within the ambit of the law. For example, you can’t say you have a right to freedom of movement and then find your way to my bedroom, without authorisation or justification, I will deal with you.

“The constitution stipulates the condition precedent to the right Atiku is laying claim to and I am of the view that he has not, in fact, and cannot, fulfil that condition precedent.”