The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded plans to approach former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the 2019 presidential ambition of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. This is as indication emerged that the South- West and South-East will battle for the vice presidential slot of PDP in 2019.

Atiku, who recently dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for PDP, served as vice president between 1999 and 2007 under Obasanjo and he is on the cards for the presidential ticket of the opposition party in the forthcoming general elections.

While the coast seems clear for Atiku to emerge as PDP candidate ahead of the likes of former governors of Jigawa and Kano states, Sule Lamido and Ibrahim Shekarau, who have already declared interest for the race as well as Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, New Telegraph, however, gathered that the Obasanjo factor will, among others, determine the fate of the former vice president.

Obasanjo resigned his membership of PDP at the eve of the 2015 elections, opting to stay off active politics and play the role of a statesman, but the PDP leadership is looking his way before taking a position on Atiku’s bid for the party’s presidential ticket because of his age-long disposition to the latter’s presidential bid.

A PDP source, who disclosed the plan by the leadership of the party to meet with Obasanjo over Atiku, told our correspondent that the intention is to get the former president to either support his former vice or avoid a position that could jeopardise his (Atiku’s) chances at the poll if he gets PDP’s presidential ticket.

His words: “Many people have tipped former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to pick the PDP presidential ticket for the 2019 elections. Yes, his chance of emerging at the primaries is bright, but the party is cautious about his candidature given Obasanjo’s position on his presidential bid over time. “You will recall that Obasanjo practically stopped Atiku from succeeding him in 2007 and his perception of the former vice president seems not to have changed.

This informs why PDP leaders want to first of all get the former president to either endorse Atiku or convince him to refrain from making comments that may portray him in bad light before the public.” The source, who acknowledged that Atiku’s political strength stands him tall over other presidential aspirants from the North, further revealed that the move to reach out to Obasanjo was informed by the fact that his endorsement is likely to win more support for PDP in the South in 2019 as APC seems to have consolidated its grip on the North.

“There is no doubt that Atiku’s political structure cuts across the country, but one cannot dismiss the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari enjoys unflinching support up North, so PDP is working towards getting Atiku or whoever will fly its flag to get the endorsement of the South and there is no other personality, who is in a better position to market the candidate than Obasanjo, given the goodwill he enjoys, not just in the South, but across the country,” the source said.

On whether PDP will look elsewhere should it fail to secure Obasanjo’s support for Atiku, the source said: “It is still a 50-50 situation for Atiku, but what I can confidently say is that the party will do everything possible to convince Obasanjo to support him. But, there is no doubt that the party may look beyond him if the effort fails.

“PDP is determined to regain power in 2019, so it will avoid everything that will stand on its way. If Atiku’s candidacy will jeopardise the party’s chances, it will not hesitate to look for other options. What is going for Atiku for now is that he has the structure as well as the financial muscle required for a huge project such as the presidency.

But, like I said, Obasanjo will still play a major role.” It would be recalled that Atiku was elected governor of Adamawa State in 1998, before he was picked by Obasanjo as his running mate and they went on to win the February 1999 presidential election. After his first term as vice president, some governors elected on the platform of the then ruling party plotted to deny Obasanjo a second term.

The plan was to hand Atiku PDP’s presidential ticket in the 2003 general elections, but he (Atiku) opted for a joint a ticket with his principal and both won the election. The botched bid, however, pitted him against Obasanjo and the cold war that ensued after their inauguration degenerated to a bitter political battle by 2006, when Atiku declared his ambition to succeed his principal.

Obasanjo’s insistence that Atiku will not succeed him forced the then vice president to leave PDP for the defunct Action Congress (AC), which handed him its presidential ticket.

Since then, his relationship with Obasanjo has been anything but frosty. But, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who believes that the frosty relationship must be addressed for Atiku to make any headway in the 2019 elections, recently said the former vice president must beg Obasanjo for him to get the 2019 presidential ticket of PDP. Jonathan insisted that Obasanjo “is still a strong factor in shaping the future of the nation in 2019 because he is a force among the revered kingmakers.

“If Atiku gets our party’s ticket, he would compete well. But he would have to reach out to our boss, Baba OBJ (Obasanjo), the boss of all bosses. We’ve all learnt at different times that you ignore OBJ at your peril. OBJ has the magic wand.

He is respected at home and abroad,” Jonathan averred. On the rumoured rift between the South-East and the South-West chapters of PDP over which of the zones produces the party’s vice presidential candidate, the source said PDP’s leadership is less worried about that for now as the focus is on the choice of a presidential candidate with national appeal.

There are speculations that the South-West, which was earlier billed to produce the national chairman of the party at the recent national convention, but lost it to the South-South in person of Prince Uche Secondus, would be assuaged with the vice presidential ticket as against the South- East, which already has the position ceded to it in line with PDP’s power sharing arrangement.

But, the party source assured that issues over the choice of a vice presidential candidate and where he or she will come from, would be addressed by the time a presidential candidate emerges “The party is not looking at the issue of running mate for now as the focus is on the emergence of a presidential candidate who would give Buhari a run for his money in the North and, perhaps, appeal more to the South; that is why most members are looking towards Atiku. By the time the party’s gets this done, where the vice presidential candidate comes from will be immaterial,” the source said.

Head of Atiku Media Office, Mazi Paul Ibe, who said he is not aware of the planned meeting between PDP leadership and Obasanjo, however confirmed that the former vice president is working with other chieftains of the party to ensure that members who left return to the fold. According to him, the reconciliation move is to ensure that PDP goes into the 2019 general elections as a united front.

He said: “I am not aware of any meeting with Obasanjo over former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. What I am aware of is that PDP is working hard to bring back all those who left the party. The party needs that going into a battle like the 2019 general elections.

“The party can’t afford not to go into the battle as a united front and former Vice President Atiku is working behind the scene to help the party achieve that. You are aware that the party has already set up a committee headed by Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, to resolve issues over the outcome of the recent convention.”


https://newtelegraphonline.com/2017/12/pdp-reaches-obasanjo-atiku/

People say we need to change Buhari and you people are bringing Atiku.This is a technical way of rigging out PDP.


Let me reserve my complete comment till he emerges

and some deluded pathetic ipob Jews be like "obasanjo has no influence anymore",i wonder if they know better than PDP or their ineffectual baboon goodluck jonathan,who said "atiku will need obasanjo's blessing and support"

hahahaha "the boss of all bosses" even their drunkard knows the truth,,but ipob Jews are so bitter to accept the truth

PDP is committing blunders. Who in PDP came up with this idea? They need their scrotum flogged. These people underestimate the political ingenuity of Yorubas. Its why Wike was able to open mouth and say Yoruba is inconsequential to PDP success. The current PDP leadership is the residual riffraffs that served Jonathan in Aso Rock. They are all clueless. They ruined Jonathan's government, they are bout to ruin PDP and Atiku with it.

Ok, so check this out ....

They go to beg Obasanjo to support Atiku. Baba will see it as opportunity for franchise. He will set up a chain of negotiations at the end of which a VP of Baba's choice will end up on the ticket with Atiku. Not only that....he will make sure it's an Ibo person more likely Charles Soludo.

Baba will put his weight behind Buhari because Osinbajo is billed for Presidency in 2023 and from Ogun State.

Atiku will get overwhelming Ibo support which further shifts yanminri away from the current 5%er to something even less and further excluded from Buhari second term....thus guaranteeing a complete shut out of SE from political access.

In 2023 PDP Presidency returns to South and goes to Yoruba. Just like in 1999 between Obj and Falae, we will have Yoruba flag bearers for both parties. Additional 8yrs exclusion for Ibo. It does not end there....the tickets both return to North for 8 more years.

PDP leadership are calculating to destroy SE's political competitiveness by taking this step.

Anything to send the dullard packing come 2019 is allowed. Even if it means visiting the bab**n from the west for supernatural powers.