A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
and close associate of the former Head of State,
Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Chief
Okoi Obono-Obla, has declared that former Vice-
President, Atiku Abukakar and Kano State
Governor, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, cannot defeat
President Goodluck Jonathan in a the presidential
contest in 2015.
Obono-Obla, who made the delaration on the
much-talked about presidential ambitions of Atiku
and Kwankwaso, said they bereft of political
morality and followership and cannot be fielded as
presidential candidates of the APC.
Obono-Obla, who functioned as the deputy
national secretary of the defunct Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC), is of the view that
given what he perceived as their short-comings
politically, they should step down voluntarily for
General Muhammdu Buhari to emerge as the
presidential candidate of the APC.
Making his stance known to THISDAY yesterday
through a statement he issued tagged:
‘Presidential Candidate of APC Must Be an
Authentic Opposition Figure,’ Obono-Obla
described Atiku and Kwankwaso as politicians that
lacked the political quality to defeat Jonathan
should he be fielded as the presidential candidate
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Going down memory lane, Obono-Obla, a radical
lawyer and anti-corruption crusader said: “Atiku
Abubukar’s vaulting ambition led him into a
collision course with President Obasanjo.
Obasanjo side lined him and even made a spirited
effort to dismiss him as vice -president when
Atiku abandoned the PDP and started romancing
with the opposition.
“Atiku fought back and caused the Supreme Court
to rule that under the Nigerian constitution a
president has no power to remove his deputy.
“Atiku finally resigned from the PDP and contested
the 2007 presidential election on the platform of
the then Action Congress (AC). In the election, he
unexpectedly scored a distant third in the
presidential race.
“He failed woefully and spectacularly to re-enact
his reputed political craftsmanship and
shrewdness in the election as he performed
poorly in his ‘catchment area’ - the 19 northern
states.
“In 2010, there was a spirited effort by opposition
leaders in the country to come under one platform
to save the country from the corruption,
floundered economy, bad governance and
dictatorship unleashed on it by the PDP.
“The opposition leaders that masterminded the
movement were Bola Tinubu, Buhari, Atiku, and
Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa. Series of meetings were
held to discuss the possibility of the opposition
coming together to form a national mega
opposition party that would be an alternative to
the PDP. However, Atiku chickened out in the last
moment. He returned to the PDP to seek a failed
nomination under the platform of the party that
left him badly bruised politically and demystified
him as a political strategist.
“Atiku opportunistically jumped camp from the
PDP for the second time since 1999 and joined
the APC after its formation early this year. He is
presently one of the aspirants for the presidential
nomination. But, he surely does not fit in my
permutation of a genuine and authentic opposition
leader that should be given the presidential ticket
of the APC.
“Atiku does not have what it takes to defeat
President Jonathan. He does not have a strong
support base. He even lost Adamawa (his own
state) in the PDP presidential primary election to
President Jonathan in 2010.”
On the aspiration of Kwankwaso to fly the
presidential flag of the APC in 2015 Obono-Obla
said: “Another aspirant for the APC presidential
ticket that does not in my view fit the bill of a
genuine and authentic opposition leader that
should have the nomination for the presidential
ticket of the APC is Kwankwaso.
“He came to national limelight in 1992 when he
was elected the Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives in the botched political transition
programme of General Ibrahim Badamasi
Babangida. Kwankwaso is a founding member of
the PDP. “He became Governor of Kano State in
1999 and was one of the governors that
introduced the controversial Sharia law in the
country after the return of democratic civil rule.
He is widely regarded as a protégé of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, who would do
nothing to hurt Obasanjo. After he lost the 2003
general election to become a second term
governor of Kano State, President Obasanjo
appointed Kwankwaso Minister of Defence from
2003 - 2007.
“Again, in 2007, Kwankwaso was appointed by the
then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as a
member of the governing Board of the Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC), to represent
the interest of the North-west geo-political zone.
So, Kwankwaso is a dyed-in-the-wood political
conservative that had enjoyed political patronage
of the PDP now masquerading as a progressive
after he joined the APC early this year.
“A President Kwankwaso would surely turn a blind
eye to the controversial investment of a whopping
$16 billion itowards the resuscitation of the
comatose power sector by president Obasanjo in
2005-2007 that went awry because of graft and
corruption.
“In the 2003 general election, Kwankwaso lost his
re-election bid when he was trounced by Malam
Ibrahim Shekarau of the defunct ANPP.
“Political pundits are of the view that Kwankwaso
lost to an obscure Shekarau in 2003 because of
the enormous and tremendous political goodwill
and support Buhari enjoys in Kano State.
Buhari has consistently won presidential elections
overwhelmingly in Kano State. In the 2011 he
scoreed 2, 193, 206 votes (82.04 per cent).
Buhari won Kano State in 2003 and 2007 general
elections with wide margins.
“It is widely believed that in the 2011 Kwankwaso
won the governorship race in the state because
he cleverly urged the people of Kano State to vote
for Buhari in the presidential election.
“Undoubtedly, Kwankwaso does not have the
infectious followership Buhari commands in the
North. So, his support base in the North is
suspect and if he is picked as the presidential
candidate of the APC, President Jonathan with a
huge war chest of funds obtained from ‘business
people’ and individuals that enjoy the patronage
of the federal government coupled with the
support of the police, security service and the
army would make a mince meat of him.”
The associate of Buhari, one of the leaders of the
APC offered an advice saying, “In the light of the
above, the likes of Atiku and Kwankwaso should
humbly step down for Buhari (who with Bola
Tinubu are the grand masters of opposition
politics in Nigeria today) in the forthcoming
presidential primary election of the APC.
Kwankwaso and Atiku are younger than Buhari.
Let them wait until 2019 when Buhari would have
bowed out of politics after cleaning and
rejuvenating the country for a younger person.”
Obono-Obla had last week declared that the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon.
Aminu Tambuwal, is not qualified to contest the
presidential election in 2015 on the platform of the
party.
www.thisdaylive.com/articles/2015-presidency-atiku-kwankwaso-can-t-defeat-jonathan-says-buhari-s-associate/189049/

I know they will avoid this thread. Apc is already in shamble

Tails by moonlight...

“It is widely believed that in the 2011 Kwankwaso
won the governorship race in the state because
he cleverly urged the people of Kano State to vote
for Buhari in the presidential election.
“Undoubtedly, Kwankwaso does not have the
infectious followership Buhari commands in the
North

this is true. Like Shekarau, Kwankwaso will not fare well should he run against GMB. I admire MRK but GMB is still number one. Kwankwaso will only have hope should GMB endorse him. Followers of northern politics will tell you that it is SAI GMB b4 any other.

As for Atiku, he should 4get it....I will rather resurrect Hitler and crown him President than Atiku.

Sai Buhari
Sai APC

barcanista: this is true. Like Shekarau, Kwankwaso will not fare well should he run against GMB. I admire MRK but GMB is still number one. Kwankwaso will only have hope should GMB endorse him. Followers of northern politics will tell you that it is SAI GMB b4 any other.

As for Atiku, he should 4get it....I will rather resurrect Hitler and crown him President than Atiku.

Sai Buhari
Sai APC

are u the king maker? Crown ur self first

barcanista: this is true. Like Shekarau, Kwankwaso will not fare well should he run against GMB. I admire MRK but GMB is still number one. Kwankwaso will only have hope should GMB endorse him. Followers of northern politics will tell you that it is SAI GMB b4 any other.

As for Atiku, he should 4get it....I will rather resurrect Hitler and crown him President than Atiku.

Sai Buhari
Sai APC

PDP is presently praying that APC does not get it right at this critical moment.....

Buhari represent the true face of change we seek.........

Atiku can never appeal to any sane,change-seeking Nigerian again.........Kwakwanso needs to re-invent himself ideologically after which people can start taking him seriously


Sai APC
Sai Buhari

Buhari would undoubtedly win APC nomination but lose woefully in the election that follows.

Incalcitrant Buhari is used to losing elections, I pray APC fields Buhari the serial loser.

So how come buhari has not be able to defit pdp 3 consecutive times?

gebest: So how come buhari has not be able to defit pdp 3 consecutive times?

Because PDP has always rigged elections most brazenly in the SE and SS........while capitalising on the smallness of the then opposition parties.

But for now the opposition parties have become stronger with wider reach and spread unlike when they were ethnic and regional based

confuse ga duma

gebest: So how come buhari has not be able to defit pdp 3 consecutive times?

I'd like to see how youd fare in 12round Heavy Weight fight against Vitali Klitcshko

why not Utomi? why not fashola? must it be from the nut?

GMB does not have what it takes to defeat GEJ.

In fact Atiku has more political connection across Nigeria than any of them. l know of top PDP men down south that are soooo close to Atiku.

So d game start i apc has candidate,but now i see it is d same 73 old man dat says he was not going 2 run again after losing 3times. Now how can he convience me vote him when i should believe him he is not runing. But wait; if he is running has he told us what is pusuing him, abeg let him not run oo

PDP touts looking for blue murder and crying wolf where there is no wolf - APC will elect a credible a team and defeat PDP in 2015