[size=14pt]Jonathan in talks with Atiku[/size]
Headlines Jan 24, 2011 By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

LAGOS—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has initiated talks with Atiku Abubakar, his main rival for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential ticket and offered him a role in his presidential campaign ahead of the presidential election next April.

Vanguard learnt that the erstwhile Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Anthony Anenih, is mediating the talks between both sides.

The talks are, however, yet to reach a definitive agreement as both parties were reportedly skirting around demands and offers tendered to enable a concrete reconciliation after the most cantankerous presidential primaries in the 12 year-old PDP.
Presidential minders were hopeful, yesterday, that complete reconciliation would further boost the prospects of the President especially in the Northwest where he trailed Atiku in some States.


PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has initiated talks with Atiku Abubakar
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State and PDP chieftain, Alhaji Mukthar Shagari, said, yesterday, that ongoing religious and ethnic tainted text messages circulating among Northerners to dissuade them from voting for President Jonathan would come to no avail.

He told Vanguard in a telephone interview that the President’s good works in reviving the textile industry, dredging the River Niger and the presidential initiative to put Almajiris in schools would boost the President’s prospects.

Following his resounding victory at penultimate Thursday’s presidential primaries, President Jonathan in his acceptance speech had offered a hand of fellowship to Atiku who he congratulated for putting up a serious campaign.

Dialogue with Atiku

Sources disclosed, weekend, that the President had followed his words with action by initiating dialogue with Atiku. Associates of Atiku were notably reluctant to talk about the ongoing talks.

Atiku’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, claimed ignorance of the talks when contacted.

Vanguard learnt that Anenih was primed to mediate in the talks on account of his closeness to both men. Though Anenih was central to the President’s victory in the presidential primaries in Abuja; he is also generally known to have been a close political associate of Atiku running back to the Third Republic when they were both close confidants of the late Gen. Musa Yar‘Adua.

Anenih and Atiku reportedly also share common feeling against President Olusegun Obasanjo who they both served and subsequently fell out with.

A senior presidential aide told Vanguard yesterday: “The President is reaching out to them, we are talking to every one of them, and you can see that General Babangida has congratulated the President, we are talking to them.”

The aide who spoke of the President’s effort to unite the party behind him after the primaries which he contested against the joint forces of Babangida, Atiku, erstwhile National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau and Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, added: “The President is desirous of going into the election as a united team and he believes that it was an internal contest of just the PDP and that is why you would see that the Campaign Organisation for the main presidential election has not taken shape.”

The meetings were equally confirmed by a senior associate of Atiku who responded, briefly that “yes we are talking, but nothing serious has come out.”

Vanguard learnt that President Jonathan besides offering Atiku a central role in leading his presidential campaign equally offered him four ministerial nominations in a post-May 29 cabinet should the President win the election. Both sides it was learnt are, however, yet to agree on the slots. It is expected that the two camps would come to an agreement as the talks still shrouded in secrecy take a definite turn.

Text messages
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari has flayed religious and ethnic tinted text message campaigns against President Jonathan in the Northwest as not representative of the majority of the people of the zone who he said would vote for the President in the forthcoming presidential election.

Shagari in an interview cited the revival of textile companies in the North, the President’s initiative against the Almajiri syndrome and dredging of the River Niger as among other issues affecting the North that have endeared true Northerners to the President.
Noting the President’s sweeping victory at the Presidential primaries of the PDP, he said the country was now well past the controversy of zoning which he said had been firmly resolved at the national convention.

He noted: “We believe that the people of the North (are not the) few tiny minority who have been sending around text messages and sponsoring sermons and so on to say that, ‘he is a Christian you cant vote for him,’ that is a very tiny and small minority.

“What I can tell you is that President Goodluck Jonathan will win the election in Sokoto State, PDP will win elections in Sokoto State and President Goodluck Jonathan will be voted for by Northerners. It has happened in this country before. When the PDP fielded President Obasanjo some people said he is a Christian don’t vote for him but Northerners didn’t listen to them. When he also came for second term some people also came out and said no, no, don’t vote for him, but they didn’t listen to that, but they still voted for him.”

Revival of collapsed textile industries
Citing the actions of the President that would endear him to Northern voters, he said: “Those textile industries completely collapsed and that affected the production of cotton in the North which in turn brought about economic depression on those who depend on cotton farming for livelihood. This President has decided to address that issue and today, the largest textile industry in West Africa is working courtesy of the programme brought about by this President.

“Now, one of the most important issues that is bothering the North is the dredging of the River Niger and the first phase of that has been completed by Mr. President. One of the biggest problems we have in the North is the issue of Almajiris, young little boys who should be in schools but are not in schools. Now, Mr. President has come out with a programme of constructing Almajiri schools where these little boys will be taken and they will be trained and given similar education just like any other child in this country so that we will clear all of them from the streets.

“This is a problem that has bedeviled the North and I believe every northerner will be happy that at least somebody has now found a solution to the problem. I think he is constructing over 100 schools of that nature. I was a witness to the one that is being constructed in Jigawa State. These are some of the real issues.

“So, I believe that with President Goodluck Jonathan, it will be better for this country, particularly the northern part of this country. But you have to understand that it is party politics and in party politics, the other parties will put doubt on you and say we will do this and that.

But that is normal in politics and we welcome that, it makes us to work harder, it makes us to prepare better and it also makes us to feel the thorns in the field, the feelings of Nigerians so that whatever we do in the future will be in the interest of this nation.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/01/jonathan-in-talks-with-atiku/

I hope they are able to sort this out so that when GEJ wins the election he can face the task of rebuilding and restructuring the country with all hands on deck.

Those that have eyes are seeing gej's activities, atiku shld just accept the invitation

Those that have eyes are seeing gej's activities, atiku shld just accept the invitation

I tot u guys said Atiku is a thief and made away with 40billions so u guys are giving him a waiver from been prosecuted? So it was a campaign of calomny prior 2d pdp primaries so as to decieve Nigerians as usuall. PDP= PEOPLE DECIEVING PEOPLE. So atiku is no longer a thief nw but a democratic.

Is that the only way u can interpret it? If any anti graft agency invites him, he will go and answer the call, but now that he has not been invited and indicted he has all fundamental human rights. Abi?

“What I can tell you is that President Goodluck Jonathan will win the election in Sokoto State,

The same Shagari that cannot deliver Sokoto to him in primaries.

@ jarus, which one be dis one here

Association of Mass Murderers and Thieves

Beaf and his multiple id's all for GEJ propaganda - If you like create 1000 ids - that one na your business


Nisman , Johndoe, Ma j blige - U all write alike

blacksta:

Association of Mass Murderers and Thieves

Beaf and his multiple id's all for GEJ propaganda - If you like create 1000 ids - that one na your business

Nisman , Johndoe, Ma j blige - U all write alike

Funny post.

Beaf:

Funny post.

The only person deceived is yourself abi you think it is coincidence that these robot's follow you like fly on shi t every time you start a post or vice versa

blacksta:

The only person deceived is yourself abi you think it is coincidence that these robot's follow you like fly on shi t every time you start a post or vice versa

I am Jarus as well, seeing that he posted here. I'm chuckling as I post this.

Frustrated fellows on nairaland equating similar posts to a single individual

Frustrated fellows on nairaland equating similar posts to a single individual

Coalition of crooks and "erstwhile" bombing suspects

Ibime:

Coalition of crooks and "e[b]rstwhile" bombing suspects[/b]

i completely forgot about that

see these shameless gej apologists who were calling for atiku's head doing the usual volte face

and as for gej - what are you doing consorting with an 'unloyal' fellow?

oyb:

i completely forgot about that

see these shameless gej apologists who were calling for atiku's head doing the usual volte face

and as for gej - what are you doing consorting with an 'unloyal' fellow?

I wonder oooo

Mother of all sycophants

the same individuals calling atiku names like jihadist, Wanted by America , Thieves, and other evil vices are now ready to do business with the same individual. These people no get same at all.

The worse thing that could ever happen to Nigeria in the start of this new decade is another 4 years of misrule from PDP.

Imagine if Abacha had finished off Obj i am confident that GEJ would not exist and most probably teaching some under 5's zoology. The man was not interested in politics as confirmed by himself.

Is this the fresh air we were promised?

Chima Orlu: Na we do am. Shebi make I go collect the pay from Raymond for IBB campaign office?

Ben Jessy: Ahn Ahn, you never hear say IBB done collapse him campaign office into Atiku campaign?

Chima Orlu: But I been think say Atiku done collapse him campaign office into GEJ campaign.

Ben Jessy: You for talk since now. Oya go collect the money from Orubebe for GEJ campaign office.

Chima Orlu: How much we suppose collect sef?

Ben Jessy: You never know say na N400m wey we charge dem? But since na Orubebe you dey go see, add another $50,000 for "transport fee".

Chima Orlu: Sharp Man!

I am tempted to call these frustrated fellows blabblermouthed but their post are indiscreet

Ibime:

Chima Orlu: Na we do am. Shebi make I go collect the pay from Raymond for IBB campaign office?

Ben Jessy: Ahn Ahn, you never hear say IBB done collapse him campaign office into Atiku campaign?

Chima Orlu: But I been think say Atiku done collapse him campaign office into GEJ campaign.

Ben Jessy: You for talk since now. Oya go collect the money from Orubebe for GEJ campaign office.

Chima Orlu: How much we suppose collect sef?

Ben Jessy: You never know say na N400m wey we charge dem? But since na Orubebe you dey go see, add another $50,000 for "transport fee".

Chima Orlu: Sharp Man!

Lol

Nigeria captured with the above - AGIP all the way.

blacksta:

Association of Mass Murderers and Thieves

Beaf and his multiple id's all for GEJ propaganda - If you like create 1000 ids - that one na your business


Nisman , Johndoe, Ma j blige - U all write alike

I can see a very frustrated nairalander.
So anyone that has the same ideology like Beaf is beaf?

Funny indeed.

Why u dey attack beaf? u sef create multiple Ids na. If u think it easy to post intelligently on multiple ids like beaf does.
Now u may say I am beaf or his brother. ROFL
Anyway I like his post.

I have said it time without number, We are not ready for change. Just 2 weeks ago Atiku was a wanted man for money laundering, today he is Oga's mate.

I tell you we Nigerians are worse than those 2 naira ashawo's

I was disturbed by this development but not as much as I was by Monkeyleg's revelations about 2 Naira ashawos

Ewoo, God sent lol. Now Atiku is a saint?

mend spokesman - 40 billa collabo

advantage - PDP

Jonathan should create the Ministry of Gay Affairs and make ATIKU the Honorable Minister.

All the sharing and negotiation don start? -Whatever-

Anyway, my own request is simple; Bros GEJ must give Beaf an appointment if he wins. A useful and strategic one too.

For all I know, our Beaf is waaaaaaay smarter than GEJ and half of his cabinet combined.

Beaf must get an appointment. That is my own!

Kilode?!:

All the sharing and negotiation don start? -Whatever-

Anyway, my own request is simple; Bros GEJ must give Beaf an appointment if he wins. A useful and strategic one too.

For all I know, our Beaf is waaaaaaay smarter than GEJ and half of his cabinet combined.

Beaf must get an appointment. That is my own!

It is just unfortunate that we have round pegs in square holes. I agree 100% - Beaf would make a fantastic president and i will be one of the first one to vote for him

I just hope he wont surround himself with those 2 Naira ashawo's before you know it they Guy don load Swiss account finish

@Sapeleguy,

my broda, no be small thing, at least ashawo dey know im customer. In this our country, we no get integrity, this same man when dem call thief -thief done join oga to chop from the same plate. I no go suprise if dem give Ibori new wife with chieftency when im commot from jette.

without question there s something big in the offing for beaf if gej remains in aso rock

there is no way niboro and co are not in contact with gej's no1 advocate