Ebun Francis
The wife of the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former vice president of Nigeria, Titi Abubakar has described how she met her at Idioroko boarder forty seven years ago.
Titi spoke who on Sunday while receiving a group known as Women for Atiku, narrated how the then custom officer, Atiku intervened when a group of officers on duty insisted that she pay duty for a gift item from her aunt while returning to Lagos from Cotonou.
She said, “I was on my way back to Nigeria from Benin Republic when I went to visit my aunt at the idioroko boarder and was accosted by officers of the Customs Service.”
“They had demanded that I pay duty for a pair of brocade material which was a gift from my aunt, an argument ensued between us and I told them to have the brocade material for a keep because I couldn’t comprehend why I should pay duty for a pair of brocade.
“Suddenly an officer by name Atiku Abubakar who heard our argument summoned the officers to come along with me to his office.
“He was the head of the command at the time. After listening to both sides, Atiku demanded for the duty charge, dipped his hand into his pocket and paid the duty and handed me the receipt smiling and saying that ‘I will pay him back’.
“As the head of the command he could have simply commanded them to let me go if he chose to, but his patriotism to fatherland would never allow him do so, and that singular act swept me off my feet and I eventually fell in love.”
She went on to describe her husband as a man whose integrity, honesty and sincerity.
She continued, “I usually got confuse Whenever I read the false allegations of corruption being spread by mischief makers against my husband in the media.”
“Most times I ask myself if they were referring to my husband whom I have been married to for 47 years or a different person.
“Their descriptions only befits the opposite of Atiku Abubakar, because he is not corrupt as alleged.”