■ Offers 2019 presidential ticket as bait

■ We’ll love to have them back- Party

FROM ADE ALADE AND TAIWO AMODU, ABUJA

The undying presidential ambi­tion of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has now be­come the talking point among close associates of President Goodluck Jonathan who have already begun moves to woo him back into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Saturday Sun gathered that initial meet­ings on how to get Atiku back into the PDP fold have been held in Abuja where it was decided that “to get the former VP back into our fold (PDP), the party’s 2019 presidential ticket will be placed before him.”

A source, who attended one of the meet­ings, disclosed that the task of getting Atiku into the PDP has been given to the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih “who is very close to Turaki (Atiku’s traditional title) and main­tains a strong influence on him.”

Should Atiku decline the offer, Saturday Sun gathered, Kano State governor, Dr Ra­biu Musa Kwankwaso has been penciled down as a fallback option.

Asked why the PDP is gunning for Ati­ku who is currently a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the source, who is a trusted associate of President Jonathan, explained that the choice of the former number two citizen “is because of his presidential ambition which has come alive stronger soon after the victory of Gen Buhari at the polls, his deep pock­et, his nationwide network and ability to provide leadership for the PDP across the country.”

Rather than his hope dampened by the emergence of Buhari in the April 11 pres­idential ambition, feelers from the camp of the former Vice President show that he has got more inspired to keep his aspira­tion alive. “He’s a man who believes that if Buhari can get it at the fourth time, he can also become president if given another chance to contest the presidency in 2019”, a source close to the former VP stressed.

Atiku was VP to ex-President Oluse­gun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007 on the platform of PDP. He left the party to contest the presidency under the ban­ner of the then South West-based Action Congress (AC) in 2007. Soon after he lost the election to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the PDP, he returned to the party but failed to get the party’s presidential ticket again in 2011 because the presidency had been conceded to Pres­ident Jonathan who had taken over the reins of leadership following the death of Yar’Adua in 2010. When it was obvi­ous Jonathan was going to seize the PDP presidential ticket for the 2015 poll, Atiku again moved to the main opposition party, APC where he is today being tipped as the party’s BoT Chairman, after the influential position was zoned to his North-East zone of the country. His bid to pick the APC ticket was, however, scuttled as he came third at the party’s presidential primaries held in Lagos.

“If Buhari got it at the fourth round, Ati­ku can also get it in his fourth attempt in 2019, that is why some of us in PDP be­lieve he’s central to our party’s comeback to power in the next general elections”, a PDP chieftain involved in the plot to get Atiku return to the party added.

“Should all entreaties to Atiku fail, which is 98 per cent unlikely, Kwankwaso will be another viable option because of his firm grip on Kano which has always produced the largest bulk votes in recent elections. Beside this, the Kano governor though now a Senator-elect equally enjoys wider acceptability across the country like Atiku. Don’t forget he came second in the APC presidential primary despite his late entrance into the race”, the source stressed.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh in a telephone chat with Sat­urday Sun could not confirm or deny if there were intense pressures on the former Vice-President to return to the party, but noted that the national leadership of the party would be happy to have Atiku back in its fold.

According to Metuh: “I can’t confirm that because there is nothing concrete to it.

But every genuine and well-meaning member of our party would want Atiku back. He is a great mobiliser. So, why not? At this time that we are down, he is a great asset and can be a rallying figure. I think every genuine PDP member would wel­come such a move.”

When contacted for reaction to the de­velopment on Wednesday, Atiku Abuba­kar’s spokesman, Garba Shehu pleaded with one of our reporters to allow him clar­ify with his boss before responding. As at the time of going to press on Friday night, no response had come from him yet.

gwales:
Contest against GMB? Let them prepare for sule lamido and babangida ALIYU treatment! Though kwankwaso is one politician that has cult followers in the north just like Buhari

mployer:
So without a Nothern candidate, no party Can win presidential élection?

Sooroptimist1:


There is no man born of a woman who can stand election against Gen Buhari in the North as at today

Buhari is 1000% more popular than Kwankwaso even in Kano and i am sure he will not want to cross path with Baba Buhari.......infact the ONLY reason why he won his reelection after 4years out of power as a PDP candidate was because he campaigned for Buhari of CPC against Jonathan of PDP then in 2011

Where does people like him even want to start campaigning or to abuse Buhari from? Same thing that destroyed Jonathan and PDP up North

Kwankwaso started the style of printing PDP candidate's campaign posters with Buhari alongside in the North

People like Kwankwaso know too well where their popularity stops...............................any attempt to cross head with Buhari is an attempt at demystifying himself politically

gwales:
Contest against GMB? Let them prepare for sule lamido and babangida ALIYU treatment! Though kwankwaso is one politician that has cult followers in the north just like Buhari

Sooroptimist1:


Elections is about Numbers and the North has it......That is the fact

But i am sure that the North dont intend to keep power in perpetuity.......after 2023,you will see that the North will support a Southern candidate


What the North hate is cheating,injustice,unbridled pride and insult which was the hallmark of Jonathan's Presidency......a man who had a gentleman's agreement with people in the inner sanctum of their party caucus not to contest a 2nd term but made a volte face thinking he could force himself on the whole Nation

mployer:
So without a Nothern candidate, no party Can win presidential élection?

Sooroptimist1:


There is no man born of a woman who can stand election against Gen Buhari in the North as at today

Buhari is 1000% more popular than Kwankwaso even in Kano and i am sure he will not want to cross path with Baba Buhari.......infact the ONLY reason why he won his reelection after 4years out of power as a PDP candidate was because he campaigned for Buhari of CPC against Jonathan of PDP then in 2011

Where does people like him even want to start campaigning or to abuse Buhari from? Same thing that destroyed Jonathan and PDP up North

Kwankwaso started the style of printing PDP candidate's campaign posters with Buhari alongside in the North

People like Kwankwaso know too well where their popularity stops...............................any attempt to cross head with Buhari is an attempt at demystifying himself politically

franchizy:
Big lies and a pure propaganda by the Useless APC liars. where on earth can a party be planning of such when the incoming president has not been sworn in.
Why cant APC leave PDP alone.

amakaobiemeka:
Dem no try ibo again. Anyway their is no man born of a woman or a single mortal that can challenge gmb in the north. The dude is like a sliding rock, u either leave its path or get crushed. Ask lamido, aliyu was happened to their forever dead career for partially attempting it, even though lamido tried to curry support 4 gmb. Gmb is a movement like a religion, like islam/mohammed to the northern, they can even kill for his name sake. His cult like followership is so massive that he can singlehandly win presidency 2day without tinubu, or merger support

amakaobiemeka:
Dem no try ibo again. Anyway their is no man born of a woman or a single mortal that can challenge gmb in the north. The dude is like a sliding rock, u either leave its path or get crushed. Ask lamido, aliyu was happened to their forever dead career for partially attempting it, even though lamido tried to curry support 4 gmb. Gmb is a movement like a religion, like islam/mohammed to the northern, they can even kill for his name sake. His cult like followership is so massive that he can singlehandly win presidency 2day without tinubu, or merger support

Sooroptimist1:


No i disagree with the part bolded

As much as we all love GMB even in the South( i speak as a SWner,a Christian who has been voting GMB since 2003),he would not have won the 2015 if he does not have a strong support and political structure of the Tinubu bloc in the SWest

Elections are either won/rigged very well in your favour when you have eyes on the ground....That is people who are either prepare to die there if the other party wants to rig you out or people who are going to canvass/induce people for you and ensure that the actual votes cast are not tampered with

You should wonder why the Buhari effect didnt win all these while( in the SW) even with Bakare in 2011 until the Tinubu factor and structure came in

I was still around in 2011 when instruction came from Tinubu that all ACN polling agents should look the other way when the Presidential elections were held to give a smooth path for Jonathan.......The ACN and PDP agents were throwing banters and were served food by both parties.........i didnt even see any CPC party/polling agents. i was livid with anger as i independently worked for Buhari. Infact immediately after the exercise,the ACN agents rather than followed the INEC officials to the collation centre,all went home...thereby leaving a lacuna/timeline for the PDP folks to juggle the figures

All these happened then because Jonathan begged and struck an alliance with Tinubu

But fast-forward to the Governship/Fashola's 2nd term election 2weeks later........The ACN agents suddenly became hostile and very eagle-eyed towards the PDP agents. Actual voting took place and serious effort was made to police the votes to the collation centre

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