Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has promised to rule for a single term of four years if he wins the 2011 presidential election.



Abubakar, who was chosen on Monday as the consensus aspirant of the Northern Political Leaders Forum, said on Wednesday that he was in the race to complete the second term of the tenure of the late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua.



The Director of Media and Publicity of his campaign organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu, who stated this in a telephone interview with THE PUNCHon Wednesday, said there was no doubt about his principal’s desire to rule for only four years.



He said, “There is no doubt that he wants to rule for only four years. He has said so and even told a foreign television station on Tuesday that he would run for a single term. You can quote me on that.



“His determination is just to complete the tenure of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua because the Presidency was zoned to the North for eight years in 2007. He will only complete the remaining four years and return power to the South.”



He, however, did not state the part of the South he would hand over to.



Meanwhile, the other three aspirants that Abubakr defeated to emerge as consensus aspirant have promised to give him total cooperation. The aspirants, Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki; former National Security Adviser, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd.); and a former head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), said their preoccupation was to make sure that Abubakar emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.



They also vowed to ensure his victory in the presidential election.



In a statement signed by the directors-general of their campaign organisations, the trio thanked the Consensus Candidate Selection Committee headed by Malam Adamu Ciroma “for the able, mature and statesmanly way it handled the process that led to the selection of a consensus candidate from among the four aspirants.



“We also wish to congratulate His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice-President of Nigeria on his selection as the consensus candidate from among the four aspirants. No doubt, the completion of this phase of the selection process, signals the beginning of real hard work to unite our nation, and reconcile the differences that separate our people.”



“We are amply reassured that Atiku Abubakar has the requisite democratic credentials and strategic capacity to turn around our national fortune for the better and will provide the kind of visionary and reform-minded leadership that will impact positively on all national sectors, including but not limited to security of life and property, stable power supply, food sufficiency and agricultural transformation, the Niger Delta peace process, job creation, educational and health sector reforms and the revamping of our public infrastructure.”



Also on Wednesday, the Mega Progressive Peoples Party announced its decision to adopt Abubakar as its presidential candidate.



The party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Alhaji Babangida Mohammed, who handed over the party’s resolution to the Director-General of Atiku Campaign Organisation, Mr. Chris Mammah, in Abuja, described the former vice-president as a detribalised Nigerian.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101125041748

Atiku must be dreaming to think he would get the PDP ticket. 2nd He already spent 2 terms with OBJ what one more term is he looking for. He should exit and allow another person to go. Atiku words are not different from IBB words when he was in govt. Birds of same feather,

A very shrewd and important bargaining chip by Atiku there.

Go boy.

You won't get even a day!Tsheew.

And he intend to achieve all his campaign promises in four years. That man must be a comedian. This is a man that squandered our money with Obasanjo, now wants to start from where he stopped. Bl00dy ishi azu!

marcdunu:

A very shrewd and important bargaining chip by Atiku there.

Go boy.

'Bargaining chip'?!

Only a brain dead muppet will believe what Atiku is saying. This is someone that jumped party to run for president in a desperate bid to clinch the top job, then engaged President Yar'Adua in a court case for years in a fervent bid to achieve his aims, then jumped ship back to the PDP that he had bad-mouthed as a den of vipers when he was in the AC.

So you now feel that this man will happily step down after 4 years after all this desperate struggle?

i won't be surprised if Atiku tried to make a play for a third term if he wins the elections.

I believe you Sir Atiku.
You the most honourable amongst all the thieves in Nigeria.
You have tasted money and are not the greedy kind like the ex-Ota farmer, OBJ.(With only 20,000 Naira in his account before he left his jail)
I agree. You should not rule or more than one term.
2015-2019 should go to the Middle Belt.

Atiku reminds me of a white man.

Blazay:

I believe you Sir Atiku.
You the most honourable amongst all the thieves in Nigeria.
You have tasted money and are not the greedy kind like the ex-Ota farmer, OBJ.(With only 20,000 Naira in his account before he left his jail)
I agree. You should not rule or more than one term.
2015-2019 should go to the Middle Belt.

Atiku reminds me of a white man.

That term "middle belt" needs a thorough definition.Adamawa and Taraba(former Gongola) I believe is part of the middle belt.Atiku is a Fulani man though.He is as good as Sam Obi who is Igbo from Delta.

That said,I do not believe anybody can taste power and leave it just like that.Nigerian political office is too sweet to vacate.If Jonathan could do all these to hold on to power,then Atiku will do worse.If this strategy is a bait for Igbo votes,I think he will fail.

If Atiku will do this,
Then he is more dangerous to Nigeria than thought.
If this man could rake billions out of NCS in gross corruption,
Then he can rob the generations unborn these four years.
Remember, he is profesional robbers like his closest foe-OBJ.
I think Ribadu is becoming my better choice.

Atiku running 4 a single term is a joke. This man will go for a third term if it is possible

slinkky:

Atiku running 4 a single term is a joke. This man will go for a third term if it is possible

You mean to say 5th term?

Only in nigeria will a notorious thief and fugitive like atiku vie for presidency and people takes him seriously.When will nigerians learn d difference b-w criminality and civility?

debeginin:

You won't get even a day!Tsheew.

Headline should be more like, "I'll LOOT For Only One Term"

One thing i like him for is his focus on his dreams, even though that they are misguided. He's believes in the principle of zoning, and is completely committed to it. There's truly honour among thieves.

excanny:

One thing i like him for is his focus on his dreams, even though that they are misguided. He's believes in the principle of zoning, and is completely committed to it. There's truly honour among thieves.

"Among Nigerian Looters, ATIKU IS THE MOST HONOURABLE" said excanny.

Phil Moane:

"Among Nigerian Looters, ATIKU IS THE MOST HONOURABLE" said excanny.

That's not what i meant. What i was trying to say is that he might be a thief, but he is one that is sincere with his words. And ofcourse you can be a thief and still be sincere(more like a Robin Hood kind of thief)

atiku may only do one term but what happens when ANOTHER NORTHERNER comes after him and decides lets do away with zoning?

thats what happens balewa promised zik, shagari promised ekwueme but buhari took over, IBB promised Ubitu Ukiwe but replaced him with Aikhomu, held election mko abiola won, then Abacha took over, Abdulsalam along with ahkigbe etc. you aready know the story

im just thinking why do southerners keep falling for the same OLD TRICKS ARE THEY NOT TIRED?

False News from atiku. He wouln't even have an hour

False News from atiku. He wouln't even have an hour. Suppose he wins wouldn't he travel U.S to attend U.N meetings? The PoLiTiCaL love-pedler has been barred from travelling to U.S. www.elombah.com/atiku barred from travelling to U. S

shut those gutters of urs atiku.
is it not better for atiku to concentrate on how to rig himself into power rather than seeking our sympathies here.
we all know that none of these criminals has anything good for us so let then stop boring us with their useless speeches.
when will nigerian politicians stop talking and start acting?

sbeezy8:

atiku may only do one term but what happens when ANOTHER NORTHERNER comes after him and decides lets do away with zoning?

thats what happens balewa promised zik, shagari promised ekwueme but buhari took over, [b]IBB promised Ubitu Ukiwe but replaced him with Aikhomu, held election mko abiola won, then Abacha took over, Abdulsalam along with ahkigbe etc. you aready know the story[/b]

im just thinking why do southerners keep falling for the same OLD TRICKS ARE THEY NOT TIRED?

What did IBB promise Ebitu Ukiwe? Do you know how/why Ebitu left the govt or you want to perpetrate misinformation and deception? Do you know that Ukiwe RESIGNED from the govt on his own volition?

I suppose those of you who dont believe Atiku will keep his word know that GEJ also said he'll do just 1 term too. So?

Atiku says he's coming to RULE and not SERVE!

Please is it the same ATIKU OBJ and EFCC could not stop.

Can anyone name one bad thing OBJ was able to stop.

OBJ and EFCC together tried so hard to stop CORRUPTION and they failed woefully that today corruption strolls d Nigeria political space bragging.

That CORRUPTION is ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR.

Nigerians are we not going to stand out boldly and stop this man?

The same ATIKU that told us he is a man of his word.

His word was this in the run up to 2007 elections "The PDP is a den of vipers" in 2011 he now tells us that "The PDP is a lover of the nation that was ahy zoning was agreed to by the party".

Nigerians let us send a strong message to himand his type that we are not interested in his lies as a matter of fact if he can win 2011 I will support him for the 2015 elections because he has a right and if he thinks and wants us to belive that he can forfeit his rights then he should as well forfeit this ambition.