Since GEJ is the favourite to win by a very very wide margin, the ACN can only be wooing Atiku back.

[size=14pt]Nigeria opposition would accept losing PDP aspirant[/size]
Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:55pm GMT
By Joe Brock

ABUJA (Reuters) - One of Nigeria's main opposition parties said the losing candidate in this week's ruling party primaries could switch to its platform and still run against President Goodluck Jonathan in April elections.

Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) holds its primaries on Thursday, in what is expected to be a closely fought showdown between Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) party is due to hold its primaries a day later, potentially allowing the losing PDP candidate to run for its ticket.

"If by any chance any PDP (member) who decamped to ACN is fit or is adjudged fit by the national committee, definitely we will accept such people," ACN chairman Bisi Akande told Reuters.

ACN presidential aspirant and former anti-corruption chief Nuhu Ribadu said he welcomed competition from anyone who could help the country defeat the PDP, which has won every election since the end of military rule more than a decade ago.

He said he would have no problem with the defeated PDP candidate contesting for his party's ticket, or with the ACN linking up with any other opposition parties, provided they supported a democratically chosen nominee.

"As much as I believe I could be the person who could bring change in my country, I'm not a selfish person, I'm certainly a person who will play as a team to bring change in our country, I have no difficulties with that," Ribadu told Reuters.

The ruling party has won every election since 1999 and the losing aspirant in the primary would be an outsider in presidential polls if he ran for under another party's ticket. As the incumbent, Jonathan is viewed as the front-runner.

But the PDP is more divided than ever before.
A pact in the party says that power should rotate between the mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south every two presidential terms, a rhythm which Jonathan's candidacy would disrupt.

Abubakar, a northerner, emerged as his main rival after being selected by a group of influential northern politicians as a consensus candidate. His failure to clinch the primaries could see some northerners turn their backs on the ruling party.

Ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, another powerful northern politician, has already been chosen by the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) as its presidential candidate for the April elections.

Ribadu won international praise for arrests and asset seizures as the first head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) anti-corruption agency, but analysts say he lacks the political weight to win a presidential election.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE70A0BA20110111?sp=true

One of Nigeria's main opposition parties said the losing candidate in this week's ruling party primaries could switch to its platform and still run against President Goodluck Jonathan in April elections.

This line is the clincher.

april fool

beaf you can not be serious

The more competition for the ACN presidential candidacy, the better.

And people wonder why I keep saying ACN is just another copy of PDP, only without the influence. ACN has been assimilating many of the crooks from PDP, unless someone is going to tell me that those welcomed into that fold are Politically born agains, I see no reason why anyone should at this time suggest ACN is better than PDP.

If ACN accepts Atiku as their aspirant then Nigeria is hopeless.I will support GEJ ahead of Atiku.The only man I can support ahead of GEJ is Buhari with ACN.

ACN dares not!

Why would ACN want a rogue like Atiku?

interesting!

Eh, no reason not to keep the options open, imo. Why say definitively, "No, we will not even let this guy run in our primary?"

Seems shortsighted. Personally though I'd have given a "no comment" rather than confirming one way or another

Aaaaaah! Beaf is back! A quick one, beaf. . . what happens if your boy fails to clinch the ticket?

"As much as I believe I could be the person who could bring change in my country, I'm not a selfish person, I'm certainly a person who will play as a team to bring change in our country, I have no difficulties with that," Ribadu told Reuters.

Up Ribadu!

Only Alj Harem1 is close with his April fool quip. The rest of you  , sorry to say , are clearly deluded and uninformed . The ACN is at the heights of its power. Everyday , the Party is gaining credibility as a serious opponent to the PDP yet some of you posit that the ACN will destroy every advantage it has worked hard to gain by re-admitting a [b]lightweigh[/b]t political cast-off/p.rostitute from the PDP when the same man humiliated the Party previously with how he grovelled to return to the PDP , from the then AC Party, while insinuating that the AC Party cannot help him actualise his ambition? This article is intellectual junk written by the usual 'Olodo' mudslingers from team GEJ. Who talked about Atiku before he became consensus candidate? WHo will talk about him , let alone give him a platform, once he has lost to Jonathan?

eku_bear:

Eh, no reason not to keep the options open, imo. Why say definitively, "No, we will not even let this guy run in our primary?"

Seems shortsighted. Personally though I'd have given a "no comment" rather than confirming one way or another

No, if that happens, ACN would immediately lose their political momentum even in the SW.

2 things;

accepting Atiku back into ACN is not the same as accepting him back as their presidential candidate. If Atiku loses in the Pdp prim, he would remain desperate to keep GEJ out of Aso Rock. This cld mean taking his support to Acn, but not necessarily with him as a presidential candidate

jason123:

No, if that happens, ACN would immediately lose their political momentum even in the SW.

10000% correct !!! It is not rocket science . Atiku either wins on Thursday or he is finished same as IBB.

Missy85:

2 things;

accepting Atiku back into ACN is not the same as accepting him back as their presidential candidate. If Atiku loses in the Pdp prim, he would remain desperate to keep GEJ out of Aso Rock. This cld mean taking his support to Acn, but not necessarily with him as a presidential candidate

If ACN has anything to do with atiku then what differentiates them  from PDP?

eh?

return of the ashawo

Gbawe:

10000% correct !!! It is not rocket science . Atiku either wins on Thursday or he is finished same as IBB.

GBAM!

Missy85:

2 things;

accepting Atiku back into ACN is not the same as accepting him back as their presidential candidate. If Atiku loses in the Pdp prim, he would remain desperate to keep GEJ out of Aso Rock. This cld mean taking his support to Acn, but not necessarily with him as a presidential candidate

Even this , IMO, is unlikely. Atiku left the ACN for dead back then to go and grovel , on his knees, to his mortal enemy at Ota (OBJ). Atiku , in testimony to his poor vision and ashawo nature, did not imagine that the ACN could achieve this much in such a short period. Tinubu had to go back to the trenches to dig the Party out of the doldrums and get it to where it is today. We all know there are no permanent enemies in politics but I would be surprised if the ACN does not tell Atiku to shove it. Only the PDP gives him political gloss. Otherwise , electorally, he is a non-entity who has consistently trailed , recently, in every poll conducted.

Missy85:

2 things;

accepting Atiku back into ACN is not the same as accepting him back as their presidential candidate. If Atiku loses in the Pdp prim, he would remain desperate to keep GEJ out of Aso Rock. This cld mean taking his support to Acn, but not necessarily with him as a presidential candidate

Well said.

If only he was truely PDP he should stay to support Goodluck regardless.

I only blame the stupid law that allow politicians to change parties few weeks b4 an election.  Its insane and should be changed immediately.

there are many in acn with as dodgy a profile as Atiku, so why cant the latter join as an ordinary member?

My second point is mr Akande's comment cld also be a nod to Gej. The latter cant lose pdp primaries? I dont know, but never say never. Think Gej/the Efcc mallam. Not a bad combo.

Missy85:
there are many in acn with as dodgy a profile as Atiku, so why cant the latter join as an ordinary member?

My second point is mr Akande's comment cld also be a nod to Ge[/b]j.

This changes the implications of this how?

Missy85:

The latter cant lose pdp primaries? I dont know, but never say never. [b]Think Gej/the Efcc mallam. Not a bad combo.

Not a bad combo . . . in what universe?

Gbawe, if Atiku will bring millions of supporters with him to Acn, and accept he cant be a presidential candidate, why would Tinubu tell him to sod off?

politics in nigeria is about the end, not whats in-between

Missy85:

Gbawe, if Atiku will bring millions of supporters with him to Acn, and accept he cant be a presidential candidate, why would Tinubu tell him to sod off?

politics in nigeria is about the end, not whats in-between

You over-estimate Atiku's usefulnesss. Out of the PDP, many might actually consider him a liability for any Party that wants to rely on a good image , rather than ability to rig, for their electoral victory.

Gej/Ribadu is not a bad combo FOR THE ACN given what they appear to have presently.

I wasnt expressing a personal preference.

Thanks for the insight, @Gbawe and @Jason123.

ok, if you say he doesnt have much following, & he would be a liability to thee acn, then that's a diff thing, & it wld be left for the acn to make that judgement.

I guess I just dont buy this, never! god forbid! thing, esp when it comes to nigerian politics

Missy85:

Gej/Ribadu is not a bad combo FOR THE ACN given what they appear to have presently.

I wasnt expressing a personal preference.

What exactly are you suggesting THEY appear to have presently?

lets stop going round in circles.

acn's most high profile aspirant is Ribadu, but i think most agree he's unlike to win a presidential election in April.

H/e, if acn can marry his popularity with the youths with the resources that a sitting president brings to the table, the outlook for acn come april will be better right?

Thats what i meant.


I hear they are also talking to the Cpc, which means acn is prob not persuaded they can win with Ribadu alone.

Missy85:

ok, if you say he doesnt have much following, & he would be a liability to thee acn, then that's a diff thing, & it wld be left for the acn to make that judgement.

I guess I just dont buy this, never! god forbid! thing, esp when it comes to nigerian politics

Look , I know where you are coming from but a politician has to have political usefulness if he is to be a valuable asset to anyone or any Party. Atiku is a joke. Only the PDP can assimilate a character like him and he better defeat Jonathan for that reason.

Missy85:

lets stop going round in circles.

acn's most high profile aspirant is Ribadu, but i think most agree he's unlike to win a presidential election in April.

H/e, if acn can marry his popularity with the youths with the resources that a sitting president brings to the table, the outlook for acn come april will be better right?

Thats what i meant.
I hear they are also talking to the Cpc.

I don't see the circles . . . what I see is your opinion being pushed around as fact  . .  just wanting to know and understand where the logic you keep offering is coming from, hence the questions. If ACN really considered Ribadu their highest profile candidate why are they in talks with CPC ? Goodlucks popularity has taken a huge shot in the last couple of months and so I do not see his popularity, at the level it is today, helping ACN the way you claim it could.  I don't believe what you have up there is close to the truth and that also is my personal opinion, as the above is all yours.