Ex-VP’s possible emergence unsettles Jonathan, PDP, say loyalists
The campaign organisation of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Monday was full of much confidence about Wednesday’s presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the acceptance speech of the former number two citizen has already been written as a proof of his confidence.
One of the media aides of Atiku, Alhaji Shehu Garba, who stated this at a news conference, said the campaign group was not worried about the outcome of Wednesday’s primary election because all is set for Atiku to clinch the ticket and fly the party’s flag.
In the same vein, a former Minister of Aviation and leader of the campaign group, Professor Babalola Borisade, who had earlier gave this indication, said with the party holding a direct primary, Atiku would win the ticket.
Garba, who however, cut in while the news conference was in session, said the Atiku campaign group was not bothered in whatever way that the primary is billed to hold, adding: “For you to know how confident we are, Oga’s acceptance speech has already been written. So, we are winning.”
But Borisade who dismissed the possibility of manipulation, said: “By this time on Thursday, our principal will have emerged as our party’s candidate for the 2015 general election,” noting that, “He is the only aspirant that can defeat President Goodluck Jonathan in the next year’s contest.”
Atiku is one of the five presidential aspirants on the ticket of the APC. Others are General Muhammadu Buhari; Kano State Governor, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha and Publisher of Leadership Newspaper Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah.
While noting that Atiku was not desperate to be president at all cost, Borisade informed that his passion to serve his fatherland was reinforced by the glaring need for the country to move forward through inspired leadership, saying “He has all what it takes to salvage the country from her current sorry state.”
Explaining that his principal was not against consensus arrangement, he stated that, “The best form of consensus arrangement is through primaries where all the stakeholders will have a say in how their leader is elected.”
According to him, the best consensus is the one reached by all the card-carrying members of the party and not the one reached by just five people at a sitting, stating that, “If the primary is free and fair, our principal’s chance of winning the ticket is between 65 per cent and 70 per cent.”
He, however, added that should his principal fail to clinch the ticket after a free, fair and transparent process, he would remain in the party to join hands with the eventual winner and others to build a viable political party that would take Nigeria to the next level.
Meanwhile, Atiku’s political strategists, have said that his bid for the presidency has become a source of serious worry for both the Peoples aDemocratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan.
One of the politicians who spoke to THISDAY in Abuja yesterday, said the PDP was seriously worried over the possible emergence of Atiku as the APC candidate for the election at the national convention taking place tomorrow.
Quoting sources in the presidency, to buttress their points, the politicians who preferred to remain anonymous, said there were growing mutual suspicions among members of the Jonathan political group concerning internal sabotage and outright betrayal of the president should Atiku emerge as the APC’s presidential candidate.
He said another source of worry was Atiku’s close relationship with several members of the United States Congress and other top government and security officials in the US.
According to him, “The presidency is aware that many members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the Board of Trustees (BoT) and several other leaders of the ruling party are friends of Atiku.”
In addition, he said many serving PDP governors, minister and advisers in Jonathan’s cabinet as well as state executives are indebted to Atiku and may betray Jonathan in favour of Atiku once they see that he is the sole candidate of the North and therefore with brighter chances of victory.
“There is the fear that Atiku would pose the greatest challenge to Jonathan’s second term ambition for a number of reasons. Atiku’s relationship with the US is of serious concern. Coming at a time when Abuja’s relationship with Washington is at its lowest ebb over insecurity in the country, the US may favour regime change in Nigeria which may benefit Atiku.
“There is also the fear of sabotage from senators, House of Representatives members, serving and former PDP governors many of whom have benefitted from Atiku. The same goes for serving ministers and advisers to the president, some current NWC and BoT members as well as state executives of the PDP. Atiku’s machinery in the PDP is still intact. The man has a lot of friends and loyalists in Jonathan’s cabinet and across all levels of the PDP who may either switch camp or even work discreetly for him while still on Jonathan’s payroll,” the source said.
The source, who gave assurance on Atiku’s victory, said the presidency was aware and therefore worried that Atiku would be the sole candidate of the North since others APC aspirants would then step aside and work with him.
He added that because Atiku was being seen by majority of Nigerians as a liberal Muslim without ethnic or other sentiments, he stands a better chance to defeat Jonathan at the polls.
Source: Thisday
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