There were indications in Abuja
on Sunday that former Vice-
President Atiku Abubakar might
face fresh screening, in his party,
in his bid to realise his presidential
ambition.
Governor Godswill Akpabio of
Akwa Ibom State, who is also a
member of the Peoples
Democratic Party ’s National
Executive Committee, told our one
correspondents, that the party ’s
leadership might take a second
look at the waiver granted to the
Adamawa-born politician.
Akpabio, who spoke to journalists
on Sunday, said that a screening
committee might be set up by the
PDP to determine if the waiver
granted Abubakar followed due
process.
“We are still not sure that the due
process of getting waiver has
been followed. So, we are still
waiting to see the screening
committee result (and) when they
(aspirants) will eventually face the
screening committee, ” the
governor said.
The former vice-president
decamped from the PDP to the
Action Congress (now Action
Congress of Nigeria) to pursue his
presidential ambition, after his
disagreements with former
President Olusegun Obasanjo had
deepened.
He was the candidate of the AC in
the 2007 presidential elections but
lost to the PDP condidate, the late
President Umaru Yar ’Adua.
Abubakar returned to the PDP
after he was granted a waiver by
the Okwesilieze Nwodo-led
National Working Committee.
Akpabio raised questions on
Abubakar ’s pictures, published in
newspapers after his declaration
as the consensus candidate of the
North by the Northern Political
Leaders Forum.
The pictures, according to him,
showed the presidential aspirant
holding a broom, the symbol of
the ACN. This, he said, raised
questions about Abubakar ’s
loyalty as a member of the PDP.
The governor said, “If you
noticed, immediately after the
announcement of the consensus
candidate, the picture that was
shown was a picture (of him) with
a broom, sweeping and showing
previous campaigns of the former
vice-president as AC presidential
candidate.
“For us, we were shocked. If you
were jubilating with a broom, that
shows clearly that we are talking
about two different (political)
parties, one AC and one PDP, then
something is wrong. ”
But Akpabio added that Abubakar
was not a threat to President
Goodluck Jonathan ’s presidential
ambition.
He argued that while Abubakar
was yet to find his feet in the PDP,
Jonathan and Vice-President
Namadi Sambo, had been
established in the party.
“As at today, I have not seen
much and I believe that the PDP
governors and faithful will return
President Jonathan, and Sambo,
as the PDP consensus candidate
for the 2011 presidential election, ”
he said.
The governor also added that
Abubakar was a candidate of a
“ panel of friends” while the
Goodluck/Sambo candidacy is a
national ticket.
“The other one (Abubakar) was
the consensus candidate of a
panel of good friends. But this
one, we will be looking at
President Goodluck/Sambo as
possible, ” he said.
When contacted on the claims by
Akpabio, the National Publicity
Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai
Alkali, said it would be unfair for
him to respond to what he did not
hear.
Also, a Director in the Atiku
Campaign Organisation, Dr.
Adeolu Akande, said he was sure
that Akpabio had been misquoted.
“As a member of the PDP NEC,
the governor ought to know the
rules. He ought to be
knowledgeable enough to know
what the rules of the party say, ”
Akande, who added that the
waiver given the former Vice-
President was legal, said.

Source: www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101129158556

Abeg see drama again, are these people going crazy.

You can't help but laugh @ PDP polit[b]r[/b]ics

Infact am not surprise at those pdp executives' reaction to Akpabio's comment because i learnt that's how Akpabio speak b4 having a second thought to it since he resumed office as gov'nor.

Infact am not surprise at those pdp executives' reaction to Akpabio's comment because i learnt that's how Akpabio speak b4 having a second thought to it since he resumed office as gov'nor.

Jonathan is equally as corrupt as any other pdp crook. Anybody hoping for transformation under Jonathan is either brain dead or hopeless. It is obviously that Atiku looks to be stronger candidate within PDP than GEJ and his camp are looking at other technicalities to remove atiku byany means like they did not know his wavier was suspect. I am not an ATIKU fan and i hope the two consume themselves so a new Era of hope can begin in Nigeria. The demise of PDP is the begining of good things in Nigeria.