By Yemi Adebowale, 03.27.2010
As the 2011 polls draw near, former Vice President Atiku Abubukar may have finally decided to ditch the Action Congress for his former platform, the Peoples Democratic Party following a meeting with the acting president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Atiku whom sources said met with Jonathan in Abuja recently, may have decided to go back to his old party preparatory to the forthcoming elections, even though it is uncertain if he will contest the presidential election next year.
The former vice president, it was learnt, may also be returning to the PDP, a party which he helped to established, because he will also be able to exert more influence in the political scheme of things.

Under his current political platform, the AC, Atiku is said to be rather uncomfortable with the fact that the party has more or less morphed into a predominately South-west party and is controlled by Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos State governor.
This has been made worse by the fact that staying on in AC has meant that Atiku who failed to capture his state has seen his once formidable dominance and relevance as a politician diminish.

PDP party sources who are aware that Atiku is preparing to make a return to the party said another indication that the former vice president is contemplating returning to the fold stems from his recent reconciliation with Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd.), the governor of Atiku’s home state, Adamawa.

The former vice president and Nyako have been on opposing sides of the political spectrum for over three years, but were said to have set aside their differences during the burial of Alhaji Lamido Aliyu Musdafa, the Lamido of Adamawa who passed on recently.

In a related development, the nephew of President Umaru Yar’Adua, Murtala Yar’Adua, whose name was sent Tuesday as one of 33 nominees forwarded by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, may have received the blessings of the president’s mother (his grandmother) to serve in the new cabinet.
His grandmother’s endor-sement is coming just as more names have been sent by the acting president to the State Security Service for screening.

Murtala, who is the son of the late deputy to General Olusegun Obasanjo between 1976 and 1979 and older brother of the president, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, did not want to go against the wishes of his family or allow the issue to create any disaffection in the family hence his decision to consult extensively.

A close friend of the man who is also director of one of the leading commercial banks in the country told this newspaper that “Murtala is very careful not to allow this matter bring any problem in the family, but he is happy that he has gotten the nod of a majority of the family including its matriarch, the president's mother.”

Declining to reveal details as to who in the family opposed or endorsed Murtala’s membership of the federal cabinet, the source would only confirm that now that it is likely Murtala will go ahead, he is expected to get an easy ride during his screening with the support of the northern caucus in the senate.

Also attempts by some of President Yar’Adua’s sympathisers to prevail on northern senators to block the nomination of Murtala was brushed aside as a majority of senators did not see anything wrong in his serving the nation.
The nominee himself has been quoted as saying that he is accepting the nomination and making himself available for screening because of his desire to serve the nation.

The northern caucus, however, has been strategising on how to stop some other the nominees including the former Minister of Information Prof. Dora Akunyili and former Senator Sanusi Daggash.
But some lobbyists close to Daggash are said to be using this weekend to penetrate the caucus to clear the way for him come Monday.

Desperate Atiku ! Only God gives Power.

Brilliant Jonathan! And I was thinking u were a political Olodo! Bring in the political prostitute and dwindle the opposition's power gradually b4 2011.

Real prostitue that man, he really stands for nothing

monkeyleg:

Real prostitue that man, he really stands for nothing

Atiku made a nice move. . . .Why should he be wasting his time in AC that has the same MO as that of PDP.

monkeyleg:

Real prostitue that man, he really stands for nothing

I agree with you man. Its hard to find any nigerian that stands for anything now, especially the politicians.

@mokeyleg,
Didnt he know the MO b4 joining AC, the guy is desperate and confused. I thought he was also forming mega party??

Atiku mis-calculated by moving to AC,it is better for him to go back to PDP. I do not see anything bad by visiting Uncle Joe and planning to return to his former party.

Godalone:

Atiku mis-calculated by moving to AC,it is better for him to go back to PDP. I do not see anything bad by visiting Uncle Joe and planning to return to his former party.

It shud actually be d other way round, Sir! What the guy needs is a shot at the presidency, a chance which I think will come fruition in AC than PDP where the opposition is stiff and where the zonning arrangement will see him warming the bench for over a decade.

Come oh, should we really be debating Atiku's chance at Presidency, rather than really exposing him for what he really is. Did he not chop enuff in PDP, I think he must be extremely foolish to think that he stands a chance with PDP, but lets not forget it's Nigeria. Even monkey can rule as long as e carry sack of money come.


My People parties in Nigeria stand for nothing, no ideology behind them, or Should I say it is All About ME, MYSELF, AND I.

This all makes me believe that thinks are not going to be any different come next election, we might even find ourselves in even worse situation than we are now.

Mr Acting President really needs to do more, he needs to motor on, because that tasks are plenty and the workers few. I just have this sinking feeling that we are not going to be any better off, but I really do pray that I am wrong. I said the same think before and after 2007, but this time for the sake of Nigeria I hope I am far off the mark

2011 election will be better than 2007 and i can tell you with 100% certainty that PDP will still win by all means. I have never supported PDP and i will never until they have good plan for the country. Atiku cannot win Primary in PDP even if he returns to PDP but it will help his political influence among the committed PDP members.

@Godalone,

How can 2011 election be better than 2007 when nothng has change in terms of the electorial process, and even you suggest that PDP will win. Is PDP really the future of the country? A Party full of theiving desports, recycled criminals? how can that be any good for us?

I really do fail to see a bright future if things dont change drastically. I think there is a great under estimation of where we are as a country, and even greater under-estimation on what is required to identify the problems, let alone setting us on the right path. Make no mistake, we are almost Generations behind any forward thinking 3rd world country. Maybe that would give you some pespective.

I hope he is going there to explain his roles in various well-documented international corruption and money-laundering cases.

I don't know why Jonathan is romancing Atiku. We alll know Nigeria's politicians form a thick network, but as Ibori almost literally brought down Yar'adua (until he did it himself), so would any deal Jonathan does with Atiku.

Actg. President Jonathan should sink or swim without inviting sharks into the waters - talk to them, keep them at arms length - don't make them insiders.

Interesting! I wonder how his estranged Godson - el-Rufai - is taking it. El-Rufai is supposed to be using his current Godfather OBJ to make a PDP comeback. This one-pot soup has started to simmer

@monkeyleg, how was d etsako electn beta dan d 2007 elections, how was d Anambra election beta dan d 2007 election and even d Ekiti re run? In d 2003 elections where there no rigging how many rigged elections were overturned compared to d num overturned post 2007? Pls if u don't c a future for this country you don't have to close others who see it.

Back to Atiku, he is just a confused man a political oversabi, I'm sure he went 2 c Goodluck to learn how to wait 4 power to come to u. Atiku shld not even be considered for d top job in dis country unless he can xplain d N40b he used in hosting COJA and what he did with his share of d PTDF loot.

The best thing for him is to go and take his place amongst d corrupt Godfathers we have.