Excerpt:


We just had an election which has been widely regarded as the real transition, because an opposition party has taken over from the ruling party. How do you see it?

Well, I will disagree with you because the real transition to democracy was when the military got out of power and we had a democratically elected government. The fact that in about 16 years or so we now have an opposition party taking over from a ruling party should not be seen as the real transition to democracy. For sure, it is healthy for our democratic process but certainly I will disagree with you.

What kind of opposition do you think PDP will present?

[size=14pt]I will like to see a very viable opposition, so that Nigerians can have a choice. If you don’t like the performance APC, You Vote PDP.
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Do you see the new PDP which you led as being critically instrumental to this change that we now have?

Of course, many groups were instrumental to this change because it required the coming together of political parties to form this viable opposition and alternative to the PDP. So, everybody played a role.

 

There are names that have been mentioned as those who played a great role to bring about this change. What role do you think the Yar’Adua group played in bringing about this change?

The Yar’Adua political group is almost in every political party in this country; even Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was part of the Yar’Adua political group. So, whichever way you look at it, coming from the PDP, I was part of the Yar’Adua political group. Asiwaju from AD, AC and then ACN, I mean we scattered kind of but it is not surprising that we are all regrouping into one big political family.

What is your relationship and personal knowledge of the president?

I have known him for a very long time now. When he was head of state during the military administration, I was still in the Federal Civil Service and I implemented some of his policies at that time as a civil servant. Since then, I have known him as an astute leader and a tough one for that matter and I think we should brace up for that kind of tough leadership.

 

Tough leadership, but politicians may not find that funny?

Well the point is that he is a leader, he may not be a politician but certainly he is a good leader and he can lead well. And that is all that you are looking for in politics.

 

You are a politician, any difference between you and him?

Quite a lot!

 

What are these differences?

As a politician, I may see things in different perspectives from him and vice versa.

http://leadership.ng/news/439003/buhari-is-a-leader-not-a-politician-atiku

Many have described President Buhari as the Abraham Lincoln of our time; do you see any similarities in their political sojourn?

Well, I don’t understand the similarities they are trying to draw because Abraham Lincoln contested about 12 times and Buhari contested for three times and won on the fourth. Is it the age?

 

Maybe the perseverance…

Yes, he may have persevered, but he is still short of Abraham Lincoln. However, I commend his perseverance and courage to continue.


You have no doubt carved a niche for yourself in Nigerian politics and in the build up to the 2015 polls, you came across as one of the most prepared presidential aspirants. It wasn’t your first outing. What has been the driving force?

It’s because whatever I set my mind to do, I like doing it very well and I like preparing to do it well. This is the difference between me and others.

 

What was your immediate reaction to the primaries after the announcement of the results?

To be honest, my immediate reaction was that I recalled Jos in 1993. Some people didn’t want me to emerge and I did not emerge. But they did not stop me from my destination. In 1998, six years later, I became what they did not want me to become. And when the results were announced I said to myself that it was just a repeat of what happened in Jos and I clapped.

 

Was the outcome surprising or shocking to you?

Absolutely not.

 

That brings back the memories of 1993 to me. Between this election and that of 1993 can you draw a parallel?  


Well, I will compare them in the sense that the political chess game that took place in Jos and what happened now is almost the same. [size=15pt]And that is why I said, if you are destined to be something, nobody will stop you. You will still get there no matter how people try to stop you from getting there.
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Yeaah..And that's why he'z got good leadership qualities in him(Honesty, selflesness, Focus, empathy and accountability)

Politicians, like Atiku do not possess any of these qualities.

Of course Buhari is not a good politician but a good leader. He trusted his party members and they played a fast one on him. You dont place your trust on politicians especially Nigerian politicians else they suprise you. As for you Atiku, 'Abowaba loro re'.

Well, if you ask me, at this point, what we need in the country are leaders and not politicians. Leaders are everything politicians can't be.

Politics demands treachery, betrayals, selfishness, greed, murder, witch-hunt, etc, whereas leadership demands quite the opposite.

It is possible for a leader to be become a "good" politician but virtually impossible for a career politician to be a good leader.

#my take.

Atiku is hell bent on giving Buhari the same rubbish he tried with Obj and GEJ but he will be shocked by what will befall him in APC.

Okay

This what you get when you accommodate all sorts of greedy politicians, all in the name of getting to the centre...

APC should brace up for more betrayal, backstabbing and expect many wolves in sheep clothing to show their ugly heads one after the other...

Alphaoscar:
Atiku is hell bent on giving Buhari the same rubbish he tried with Obj and GEJ but he will be shocked by what will befall him in APC.

I have updated the interview! Read again!

NgeneUkwenu:

still waiting..



Atiku showing his true colours. Time shall tell

we don hear

ACN in APC is weeping now... haaaahaaaahaaaa

Ile ti a ba fi ito' mo irii lo ma wo.

Any house built with spit will be destroyed by the dews.

politricks:
Of course Buhari is not a good politician but a good leader. He trusted his party members and they played a fast one on him. You dont place your trust on politicians especially Nigerian politicians else they suprise you. As for you Atiku, 'Abowaba loro re'.

I have updated the interview! The man is shameless, he can't even wait, before showing his hands!

JackBaueress1:
still waiting..

Atiku showing his true colours. Time shall tell

Are you not happy ?

APC members trying so hard to make Atiku the sacrificial lamb for their humiliating loss on Tuesday in the hands of the PDP. A closer look at the result showed that Atiku played NO role in Saraki's emergence though the emergence appear to "favor" him from "His OWN" perspective (though flawed).
Saraki was elected by 49 PDP Senators, 3 Kwara APC Senators, 1 Kogi APC Senator (Dino) and 1 Zamfara APC Senator (Yerima). Adding the sum will give 54 SENATORS! The other 3 Senators only God knows where they came from.

So which "significant" role did Atiku play? The credit is to PDP Senators and Nigerians.


Leave Atiku alone....I mean kill yourselves

Firefire:

Are you not happy ?

happy about what precisely?

JackBaueress1:
happy about what precisely?

Happy about our growing democracy

Don't you feel their is hope for Nigeria ?

See where your joy lies.

Firefire:


Happy about our growing democracy

Don't you feel their is hope for Nigeria ?

of course there's hope for Nigeria now that President Buhari is in charge. Any attempt by saTANists in PDP to derail our growing democracy,it shall be resisted in Jesus Name

NgeneUkwenu:


I have updated the interview! Read again!

I was telling some Northern folks on monday that Atiku and some of their Northern politicians are the real enemies of Buhari instead of Tinubu they are all pointing fingers on and he disagreed completely only for him to later endorse my views yesterday.


Tinubu's personal interest in the whole NA saga is George Akume who stood by him and laboured with him to keep AC moving forward. He was only forced into Gbajabiamila's aspiration by people and he can't find any reason not to support him considering the way he also stood by the movement at the turbulent periods and infact the emergence of Gbajabiamila forced him to persuade Akume to vie for the Deputy President slot instead of Akume's initial aspiration of the Senate Presidency and Lawan is just a needed tool to achieve the set target contrary to the believe in somequarters that he is a Tinubu's boy.



Lawan is from the ANPP arm of the party and he is more of Buhari's boy than Tinubu's boy.

barcanista:
APC members trying so hard to make Atiku the sacrificial lamb for their humiliating loss on Tuesday in the hands of the PDP. A closer look at the result showed that Atiku played NO role in Saraki's emergence though the emergence appear to "favor" him from "His OWN" perspective (though flawed).
Saraki was elected by 49 PDP Senators, 3 Kwara APC Senators, 1 Kogi APC Senator (Dino) and 1 Zamfara APC Senator (Yerima). Adding the sum will give 54 SENATORS! The other 3 Senators only God knows where they came from.

So which "significant" role did Atiku play? The credit is to PDP Senators and Nigerians.


Leave Atiku alone....I mean kill yourselves

Am inclined to agree with some of your points, atiku is not a senator and he was not part of those that voted for saraki...

But he might have convinced some of the senators to vote for saraki irrespective of their political affiliation (though there is no proof to back the claims though)...

Atiku saying the Truth especially where he pointed being different with PMB.

i think he payback what APC did to him during primary election.
No politician is forgiving if he sees chance.

JackBaueress1:
still waiting..



Atiku showing his true colours. Time shall tell

Accomplished!

fitzmayowa:


Am inclined to agree with some of your points, atiku is not a senator and he was not part of those that voted for saraki...

But he might have convinced some of the senators to vote for saraki irrespective of their political affiliation (though there is no proof to back the claims though)...

Convinced "some"? How many... The truth is that APC are looking for ways to blame "somebody" rather than credit the PDP masterstroke. If you observe Atiku very well you will notice that he is more of a liberal politician irrespective of his party. Atiku a PDP man as VP was very close to Tinubu and AD as at then. Atiku a PDP man entertained Buhari in 2011 when the latter ran under CPC. Atiku an APC man entertained Goodluck Jonathan of PdP earlier this year. I wasn't surprise to learn of Saraki's visit to Atiku.

I don't like Atiku's antecedents but I find it appalling that his "party men" still couldn't understand him. Atiku and Yaradua play the same brand of Politics(Maybe it is PDM style). APC love extremists(fanatics) and to APC the "liberals" among them are working against their interests.

Okay. Atiku

me my own na sidan dey look and laugh

Alphaoscar:





I was telling some Northern folks on monday that Atiku and some of their Northern politicians are the real enemies of Buhari instead of Tinubu they are all pointing fingers on and he disagreed completely only for him to later endorse my views yesterday.

The good thing is that, Buhari can still tame him early on before he destabilized his government.

Make I siddon near you

DevilhimseIf:
me my own na sidan dey look and laugh

barcanista:
Make I siddon near you

i so much love this drama

NgeneUkwenu:

Accomplished!

I never see anything. I sent you a fresh one. Check abeg!

Only if he can empower his supporters in the party by giving them tactical supporters to do so.



Buhari that I am looking at will not like to dabble too much in those dirty things like Obj.



I am surprised that some neophytes are asking how Atiku influenced the Saraki's show when he is actually the G5 governors de-facto leader in APC and most of them were on hand to support Saraki on Tuesday.

Atiku is the only frontline APC leader that Saraki visited openly before and immediately after his adoption as the SP.

JackBaueress1:
I never see anything. I sent you a fresh one. Check abeg!

Sorry! The other MzJackBaueress (something like that)