Atiku & GEJ
As
the polity continues to heat up as regards to the upcoming 2019
presidential election in the country, a former vice president who
intends to declare his intention for the presidency, has met with the
immediate past president.
The push to get former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to dump the
All Progressives Congress (APC) and return to the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) to enhance the opposition party’s bid to return to power in
2019 may have gained traction with a recent discrete meeting between him
and former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The meeting said to have been held at the instance of Atiku, who
was said to be seriously considering offers made to him by a section of
the leadership of the opposition party to return, according to a source,
explored the desirability of the move and concluded that it would be a
worthwhile political endeavour that could help terminate what both
leading politicians regarded as the uninspiring rule of the APC.
In a recent report, it was indicated that there were concerted
efforts by some PDP leaders to bring Atiku back to the party’s fold but
that he gave conditions, including an assurance that he would be given
its automatic ticket to contest the 2019 presidential election.
The fresh meeting with Jonathan was said to have looked into the
possibility of this condition with both of them said to have agreed that
all options should be kept open as the political dynamics of the
country remained fluid, requiring a more pragmatic approach to the
upsurge in politicking, which the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) warned against last week.
The electoral empire’s National Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, had
cautioned politicians against political campaigns for 2019, saying the
ban on electioneering was yet to be lifted in accordance with Electoral
Act 2010 as amended.
But Jonathan was said to have advised Atiku to consider returning
to the PDP early enough to avoid being caught by certain provisions of
the party’s constitution, which stipulate a period of time a member has
to spend in the party before he could be eligible to contest for a
political office.
“Atiku was advised to return early to enable him to fulfil the
eligibility condition in the party’s constitution and also have ample
time to integrate his political structure into the PDP’s,” a source privy to the meeting said.
The source said it was made clear to Atiku that he stood a better
chance to realise his ambition in the PDP than the APC since President
Muhammadu Buhari looked set to be given a right of first refusal by his
party’s leadership.
According to the source: “He was told to note a recent comment
by the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, stating that as
the incumbent, President Buhari had a right of first refusal even when
the decision would have to be his.
“That has been buoyed by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai who had practically launched Buhari’s re-election campaign.”
Referring to the reactions of the APC leadership and stalwarts to
the recent declaration of support for his presidential ambition by the
Minister of Women Affairs and Youth Development, Mrs Aisha Alhassan, the
source said it was made clear to Atiku that there was nothing left for
him in the APC and that he should just return to the PDP where he could
reunite more easily with other founding fathers who were eager to
rebuild the party.
ThisDay had reported exclusively in a recent report that key
leaders of the PDP were in talks with Atiku over his possible return to
the party he co-founded in 1998.
But the former vice president was said to have insisted on some
conditions to be met before he could dump the APC for the PDP. This
included an assurance that he would get the party’s presidential without
a contest.
“The secret discussions are ongoing with a wing of the
leadership of the PDP and this has encouraged the former vice-president
to start consultations with critical leaders in the northern and
southern parts of the country,” a source said, adding: “However,
Atiku has informed the PDP leaders who have approached him to guarantee
him the nomination of the party for the presidential election before he
can leave the APC, as he does not want to be messed up for the third
time.”
Findings had shown that several governors in the PDP, especially
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State who had also declared his
presidential intention, were willing to allow Atiku return to the PDP.
Party sources had claimed that Fayose would not mind positioning for the
vice presidency candidacy as Atiku was a strong politician who looked
ready to take over power.
Multiple sources had revealed that the leadership of the PDP was
comfortable with Atiku whom they believed was well liked by both
northerners and southerners even as they downplayed the issue of his old
age.
According to a source, the leaders believed emphasis should be placed on the state of his health rather than his age.
“We had the late President Umaru Yar’Adua who was in his
mid-fifties but he had health issues which led to his demise midway into
his presidency. Also, President Muhammadu Buhari had health issues
which we warned against during electioneering in 2015, but it was
dismissed as hate speech.
“Then we have persons that are the same age or much older but
are healthy and physically fit. So Nigerians should be more concerned
about a person’s health than his age,” the source stated.
The source said the APC chieftain was aware of the issues
surrounding his age and health and he is prepared to make his medical
certificates for the last ten years public to allay any concern about
his health.
Source: ThisDay
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