[size=14pt]2011: Tension In ACN Over Buhari, Ribadu[/size]

[b]There appears to be  palpable tension in Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as both General Muhammadu Buhari and former chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, are set to contest the presidential ticket of the party, ahead of 2011 poll.

Malam Ribadu had last Friday in Abuja declared his presidential ambition, while addressing newsmen and followed it early this week with the announcement that he was going to contest on the party’s platform.

In a swift move, however, General Buhari’s party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) re-opened merger talks with ACN last Thursday in Lagos, in its bid to realise the General’s presidential ambition in 2011.

The CPC team was led by the party’s deputy chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Alhaji Sule Hamman while ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, led the party’s team.

The meeting came days before next Monday’s deadline which General Buhari’s party had requested to be allowed to consult with stakeholders, following earlier talks between ACN and CPC teams, which ended in a deadlock

Saturday Tribune learnt that the ACN, which has all along been seeking a northern candidate as its presidential standard bearer and had focused Buhari, appears to be in dilemma on how to handle the situation, following the declaration of Ribadu to contest on the party’s platform.

According to findings, Ribadu’s declaration is said to have excited not a few leaders and chieftains of the party, just as the renewed alliance talks between ACN and Buhari’s CPC have done also to a number of party chieftains.

However, another source stated that the dilemma confronting the party now is be how to resolve the riddle of who should secure the party’s ticket if the alliance between ACN and CPC sails through finaly.

It is learnt that the duo are said to be enjoying a lot of followership in the ACN while the party would need a lot of wisdom to handle the situation in other to avoid a backlash, since it would have to vote for just one of them as its standard bearer at the forthcoming national convention.

Saturday Tribune learnt that part of the reasons the ACN is seeking a merger or alliance with Buhari’s CPC has to do with mutual benefits derivable for the two parties.

It is expected that if the two parties pool resources together, they would register their presence in the North, where Buhari’s popularity is said to  be increasing on daily basis and also South-West, where the ACN is on ground in some states, including Lagos and Edo.

It was gathered that earlier talks between the ACN and CPC reached a deadlock, following alleged insistence of General Buhari’s camp that it be allowed to produce the ACN national chairman and field a number of governorship candidates, among others if his party, CPC were to merge with ACN.

Further consultation between the ACN and CPC has been slated for early October.[/b]

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/news/2177-2011-tension-in-acn-over-buhari-ribadu.html

Beaf:

Maybe Ribadu should pitch his tent with labour of Soyinka's DFPF.

As for Buhari, he has a lot of corruption to his name and will be a good bedmate for Bola Tinubu who is the Lagos version of Ibori (only he is much worse).

mbulela:

and GEJ is which version?