From Odinaka Ezeoka
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,
yesterday met with former military president, General Ibrahim
Babangida, behind closed door, at his Hilltop residence in Minna, Niger
State.
Although the Wazirin Adamawa told
journalists that the “visit was purely a private one,” Odogwu Media authoritatively gathered that Atiku was in Minna to woo the former
military president and frontline leader of the party to support his
candidate.
“Issues bordering on Saturday’s elective
convention of the opposition party dominated the discussion. In fact,
Atiku was at the Hilltop to canvass the support of IBB for a candidate
who would help him realise his presidential ambition in 2019. Yes, this
much I can reveal,” a source revealed.
Other aspirants for the chairmanship
position, which is zoned to the South include Uche Secondus, Raymond
Dokpesi, Gbenga Daniel, Bode George, Rashid Ladoja and Prof. Tunde
Adeniran.
“Whoever emerges the party chairman would
play a critical role in influencing the choice of the presidential
candidate. You know that IBB and former President Jonathan appear to be
backing one of the chairmanship aspirants. You can, therefore,
understand why Atiku’s visit at this time is very significant ahead of
the convention,” the source added.
Atiku, accompanied by the former governor
of the state, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, the state PDP chairman, Alhaji Tanko
Beji and other prominent members of the party in the state arrived the
home of General Babangida at exactly 12:35pm and went straight into the
meeting, which ended at 3:45pm.
The visit came a day after the chairman
of the caretaker committee, Ahmed Makarfi, the chairman of the
convention and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; Taraba State
Governor, Dairus Ishyaku; Senate Minority Leader, Abdul Ningi and
Senator Ben Obi paid a visit to Babangida.
The sources said it was not unlikely that
Atiku is scheming to cue into the Prof. Adeniran camp, which is
reportedly enjoying the backing and support of Jonathan and Babangida.
Babangida and Jonathan’s endorsement of
Adeniran notwithstanding, the support base of Secondus is believed to be
expanding as minutes tick by, as delegates from the South-East have
reportedly threw their cap in his ring.
This is in addition to the bloc votes he
is expected to garner from the 19 northern states and as well as the
votes from the South-South delegates.
“With Daniel, George, Ladoja and Adeniran
sharing the votes from South-West, it would take more than a miracle
and magic combined to stop Secondus’ victory,” a party source said last
night.
Indications are strong that the former
vice president may declare his intention to run for presidency in 2019
soon after the national convention.
A source close to the campaign
organisation of the Wazirin Adamawa in Minna simply said: “All
arrangements for the declaration has been completed. Atiku will declare
to run for president on the ticket of the PDP after the convention of
our party.”
Atiku, who arrived Minna in his private
aircraft, T 7 AAA, at about 12.15pm was received at the Minna
International Airport by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed
Ketso and a team of PDP leaders, among them former Governor Aliyu, state
chairman of the party, Alhaji Tanko Beji, Senator Shem Zagbayi Nuhu and
the secretary of the party in the state, Alhaji Umar Santali.
Atiku who was deputy to former President
Olusegun Obasanjo when Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, contested
against President Muhammadu Buhari alongside three others for the ticket
of the APC in 2014.
He lost out in the primary but collapsed his structure to support the president at the 2015 presidential campaign.
He left the PDP to join the APC in
February 2014, after losing the presidential election of 2007 on the
platform of the then Action Congress (AC).
While he was in the PDP, he also declared
his intention to contest for the Presidency in 2011 but lost to former
President Goodluck Jonathan.
On Wednesday, Babangida said Atiku was free to move to any political party of his choice.
“He is a Nigerian, he is allowed to go to
any party and our constitution allows it. So, it is not new and there
is nothing wrong for politician to move from one party to another,” he
said.
I’m still in the race – Dokpesi
Chief Dokpesi has refuted claim that he has agreed to drop out of the race for the office of the national chairman.
He said in a statement last night that nothing can be further from the truth.
The statement reads: “Chief Dokpesi is
not only a front runner but remains the aspirant to beat at the
convention grounds on Saturday. We urge teeming members and party
delegates to the disregard and ignore such cheap and diversionary antics
aimed at causing I’ll wind in the PDP.
2019 Presidential election Atiku, PDP national chair, visits IBB.
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, December 08, 2017
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