If confirmed , this is not entirely unexpected.


http://allafrica.com/stories/201101190511.html

Atiku Joins Forces With Ribadu, Shekarau


Abuja/Kaduna — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday said he has joined forces with two presidential candidates from the north, Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The trio said they are joining forces to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan does not emerge victorious in the forthcoming presidential election.

They spoke on a programme on the Hausa Service Voice of America (VOA) monitored in Kaduna yesterday. They said President Jonathan was unfit to continue to rule Nigeria.

Atiku said it would be wrong for Nigerians to accept President Jonathan for the 2011 election because he was not prepared for leadership and had no political ideology.

He said Nigeria has been pushed into a very bad situation and that a Jonathan presidency will continue to see Nigerians the worse off.

Shekarau lashed out at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describing it as a corrupt party.

He urged Nigerians to demand from the PDP what it has done with the huge amount of money said to have been expended on electricity in Nigeria, while millions of Nigerians are still in darkness.

For Ribadu, after several years that PDP has been in power, there is nothing to show for it. He urged Nigerians to demand for a change.

Meanwhile, Atiku yesterday rejected insinuations that he had a hand in the chains of events that led to the forced resignation of the former National Chairman of the PDP Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo.

A statement by his campaign organisation said: "The former Vice President could not have been responsible for Nwodo's downfall when he (Atiku) himself was a direct victim of the former chairman's insincerity, double standard, opportunism, selfishness and mischief.

"The erstwhile chairman delivered the convention to the President but they still went on baying for his blood. That tells you there was more to it than the eye could see. Someone wants blood and you give him palm oil. Does that satisfy him?" the statement contended.

Atiku in the statement recalled that a few weeks to the convention, Nwodo did everything to frustrate Atiku's presidential ambition by making impossible a meeting intended to discuss the modalities of how the January 15, 2011 convention was to hold.

"Nwodo did not agree to meet or even answer phone calls for upwards of two months now. He frustrated every meeting my campaign organisation had requested to discuss serious issues that border on free and fair election, especially the need to create a level-playing ground in which no delegate would feel constrained or intimidated to choose their preferred candidate".


The statement said Nwodo caused crises across the country in many chapters of the party, including Enugu State, where he and Governor Sullivan Chime were engaged in a bitter battle of supremacy.

"It is clear that the former chairman had enough home troubles to contend with," Atiku furthered maintained.

As for the issue of Atiku's return to the party and subsequent waiver granted him to run for the party's ticket, the campaign organisation said the then chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party were confronted with a fait accompli since the former Vice President was among those re-integrated by the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Committee set up to reconcile the party.

Atiku insisted that he did not have anything to do with the removal and distanced himself from any suggestions that his failed presidential bid was responsible for the unceremonious exit of Nwodo.

Bunch of frustrated morons

A frustrated fellow.

okosodo:

Bunch of frustrated morons

This move is not unexpected . At some stage folks are going to realise that alliances are the way forward . Lets not kid ourselves . There are many individuals who want Jonathan to remain in power solely so that Nigeria has a Niger Deltan President for the next 4-8 years. In the same respect there is nothing wrong with the North legitimately doing what it feels it has to in the quest to win power .

Though Atiku is a d/ick head and he himself is unfit, but he's totally right about jonathan, he's absolutely ill-equipped, incompetent and unfit to be the president of Nigeria.

but atiku na, this ya ashewo dey too much ooooo

haba

So, its Ribadu and Shekarau that have sound political experience abi? This Atiku man is just an idiot. Nigeria needs a generational shift and not this "north must rule"sentimental people. Anybody with a sound sense of judgment is fit to rule the country.

oyb:

but atiku na, this ya ashewo dey too much ooooo
haba

Indeed . Atiku now sounds like a man on a mission When the dust settles down the North will realise that Ribadu and Buhari represent the best chance of defeating an incumbent who has shown he is prepared to spend billions to remain in power. Even folks like IBB and Atiku who would ordinarily prefer one of their own , i.e "a business as usual" candidate , will have no choice but to pitch their tent with Ribadu or Buhari.

Mcleo007:

So, its Ribadu and Shekarau that have sound political experience abi? This Atiku man is just an . Nigeria needs a generational shift and not this "north must rule"sentimental people. Anybody with a sound sense of judgment is fit to rule the country.

The North must blame itself for the situation it is in today. The region is too fond of "business as usual politicians" who promote the patronage system that sees the elite thrive while many remain in poverty and squalor. They should have been backing and promoting young progressives , acceptable to all Nigerians, like Ribadu and EL Rufai, as the future of their political planning.

I went to the VOA website but couldn't find such news there and it was not on yesterdays news!!!!!

Is this really true or just sensetional news!!! If something like this did really happened, it would be a national news and will be carried by all newspapers

Tsiya:

I went to the VOA website but couldn't find such news there and it was not on yesterdays news!!!!!

Is this really true or just sensetional news!!! If something like this did really happened, it would be a national news and will be carried by all newspapers

Allafrica.com is usually reliable and neutral. To be honest, one can expect Atiku, given how he has attacked Jonathan regularly and moved from one Party to the next , to walk away from the PDP to work with any Northern candidate he feels can stop GEJ. Some Northern PDP members will bury the hatchet and work for a PDP victory through GEJ but I don't think Atiku falls in that category.

Has atiku left the pdp again? If no he is doing anti-party activities and must be shown a way out without delay. Atiku carry ur hand of failure go touch shekarau, ribadu, buhari etc so that them go fail too like u. Hahahahahaha

@ eko lle, u must be blind and deaf. Are u in nigeria?

Gbawe:

Allafrica.com is usually reliable and neutral. To be honest, one can expect Atiku, given how he has attacked Jonathan regularly and moved from one Party to the next , to walk away from the PDP to work with any Northern candidate he feels can stop GEJ. Some Northern PDP members will bury the hatchet and work for a PDP victory through GEJ but I don't think Atiku falls in that category.

The news is from DailyChampions not the Allafrica editorial.

It is just sound irrational for Ribadu to join forces with Atiku less than week from their primaries without even a running mate yet.

There is something wrong. This is the VOA website and it carries all yesterday's and monday's news. Can anybody that understand Hausa try to listen to Yesterday's morning programme and explain to those that don't understand Hausa what is being said?

http://www.voanews.com/hausa/audio/

The morning news broadcasted separate interviews from Atiku even before the primaries. Then a separate statements from Ribadu campaigning for himself attacking PDP, Shekarau attacking PDP, then Bafarawa about why he quit the primaries. No where in the news it was said they are conducting interviews of the 4 presidential aspirants and nowhere they said they were joining forces. Infact, they stated the are still waiting to hear from Atiku about his next of step after losing the primaries to Jonathan.

This is just poor journalism. Lack of proper vetting of news before going to press.

It is a lie.

Tsiya:

The news is from DailyChampions not the Allafrica editorial.

It is just sound irrational for Ribadu to join forces with Atiku less than week from their primaries without even a running mate yet.
There is something wrong. This is the VOA website and it carries all yesterday's and monday's news. Can anybody that understand Hausa try to listen to Yesterday's morning programme and explain to those that don't understand Hausa what is being said?

http://www.voanews.com/hausa/audio/

The morning news broadcasted separate interviews from Atiku even before the primaries. Then a separate statements from Ribadu campaigning for himself attacking PDP, Shekarau attacking PDP, then Bafarawa about why he quit the primaries. No where in the news it was said they are conducting interviews of the 4 presidential aspirants and nowhere they said they were joining forces. Infact, they stated the are still waiting to hear from Atiku about his next of step after losing the primaries to Jonathan.

This is just poor journalism. Lack of proper vetting of news before going to press.

It is a lie.

"Join forces" may simply mean that Atiku has decided to support their ambition. Wether the story is true of false will probably not be ascertained 100% by what we conclude here. More info will come about but it is certainly logical to expect Northern die-hards , with nowhere to go , to pitch their tent with Ribadu, Shekarau or Buhari.

ATIKU WAS NOT SUPPORTING ANY OF THEM.

I LISTENED TO THE NEWS AND NO WHERE THEY ARE JOINING FORCES.

THEIR TRANSLATORS WERE WRONG.

IT IS JUST LIKE CNN AIRING VIEWS OF DIFFERENT PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS AT THE SAME TIME.

Gbawe:

"Join forces" may simply mean that Atiku has decided to support their ambition. Wether the story is true of false will probably not be ascertained 100% by what we conclude here. More info will come about but it is certainly logical to expect Northern die-hards , with nowhere to go , to pitch their tent with Ribadu, Shekarau or Buhari.

If Ribadu is fine with Atiku supporting him then I can't support Ribadu

jumobi1:

If Ribadu is fine with Atiku supporting him then I can't support Ribadu

THE NEWS WAS WRONG. THE TRANSLATORS WERE WRONG. NON WHERE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER. IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE NEWS LISTEN FROM THE WEBSITE OR GET ANYONE YOU KNOW UNDERSTAND HAUSA TO TRANSLATE IT FOR YOU.

Wrong thread title - Atiku is supporting them for presidency because they are from the north, but they have not 'joined forces'.

This Atiku man is a soooo shameless man!!

Three advices for Ribadu:
1)Don't associate with failure! Atiku is a failure!! He failed woefully in the primaries and was rejected by his own constituents in his very own backyard.
If you associate with him, you will begin to look like a failure and a desperate one at that!!

2) Atiku is a symbol of international corruption! You, Ribadu, on the other hand has corruption as your only strong point!
If you associate with him, he will dilute your reputation and suddenly you would begin to look corrupt!! If you are perceived as corrupt, you have no more strength with the populace!

3)Atiku is now a symbol of the failed northern alliance. If you ally with him,he will make you look like a northern candidate instead of a national candidate. Your strongest support base is in the south west! If you become a northern candidate, you loose you the support of all young Nigerians who have supported you on the basis of you detribalization!!


On a second thought, I'm a Jonathan supporter!!! I think I would love Atiku and Ribadu to form an alliance! Would be cool to see Atiku's capacity for failure, corruption and ethnic bigotry rub off heavily on Ribadu!!

Atiku is a niusance that no meaningful politician that is worth his salt should even relate with. The man based all his political campaighn on Jonathan and forgot that the election was not about Jonathan but what every contender could do to better the country. Even his opening speech was steeped with complaints, mudslinging, uneccessary personal attacks and endless rants without any single reference to what he plans to do if he became president. That guy is a dumbo, I knew he was going to be crushed like an ant. Ribadu himself is no contender here neither is the relatively unknown Shekaru. Buhari would ve stood a chance if only he was not from thesame stock. And people need to look at the bigger picture here, it is folly and politically naive for oppositions to continue to bash the PDP like they are in the race just to unseat the PDP. Even if PDP lose today, that wont change a thing, thesame Nigerians that we see in the PDP are the ones we see in other parties scattered all over the place with no serious plan or ideology to show they mean what they say, just empty rants, blind attacks, stupid political rhetorics and dumb campaighn slogans that can be forgotten after a sneeze. Jonathan will win the elections not because he is the best candidate but because he is not in denial, he makes himself look human, susceptible to mistakes and manages to surreptituosly look like the political underdog at the end even though he is the incumbent. Atiku is no political heavyweight as he likes to claim, if he was, he could ve at least won in his own state. He is so politically savvy that he was beaten so easily even in core northern states, so much for his much touted experience. Nonsense! Experience in what? Being the vice president? Jonathan was that too and is now the president, so how is he better than a person that has been there and even done more, dumbo! Exactly why he should ve talked less about Jonathan and concentrated on his own plan, delegates are not fools to buy all that crap about his experience, Jonathan was smarter, he appealed to thier interests and won thier support, kappish! Atiku chose to obsess about Jonathan while Jonathan reached a mutual agreement with enough of them to win the primary, Atiku can go and sit down and learn what political savvy is all about, he can now let his ego down cos he does not have it anyway, he lost it with that crushing defeat. Running from pillar to post only makes him look more desperate and a sour loser, let him learn from Hilary, who knows Jonathan might just be magnanimous enough to let the !diot serve in his govt so that he can eat his own shit like he always does.

@ papabrown :                                 try as i could i couldn't fault your logic.An alliance with Atifku will simply taint Ribadu in more ways than one .
Nice work looking @ the scenario objectively without bringing ur bias for GEJ to bear.at least initially.

I personally support any move that will help deliver Nigeria from PDP slavery.A revolution might be our best chance of liberation.We have suffered so much in this country under PDP.