As debates progress on the weight of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the Peoples Democratic Party, and his chances in the 2019 elections, the former VP has ruled out going to beg for the support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying making peace with the ex-President is more of an exercise in futility.

The Director-General, Atiku Support Group, Mr. Mark Wosi, who disclosed the ex-VP’s position, while speaking to our correspondent in Yola, Adamawa State, said Atiku had finally decided not to beg for Obasanjo’s support any longer, since it was clear that the former president would not budge.

Wosi said, “Atiku believes the support of Obasanjo and, indeed, all Nigerians, are to be desired by anybody aspiring to govern the country. That is why he feels there is no need going to beg him over an offence that Obasanjo has never disclosed.

“So, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and everyone here believe that sending emissaries to Obasanjo, who is not willing to change his mind, will only amount to an exercise in futility. I support the need for my principal to mend fences with his former boss; but you see, the problem here is not in the move for reconciliation, but in Obasanjo’s disposition. I can tell you, we are dealing with a vindictive man.”

“My principal is no longer interested in sending emissaries to former President Olusegun Obasanjo or begging him, to become the President of Nigeria. It is only God and Nigerians that will determine Atiku’s fate, not an individual,” Wosi added.

Though the ex VP’s aide said nobody was sure of why Obasanjo had sworn by Jove that Atiku would never be president, some political sources, however, traced the disagreement between the two politicians to 2003, when Obasanjo was warming up to go for a second term.

A source, who is very close to former President Obasanjo but pleaded to be anonymous, recounted the story to our correspondent, saying, “To the president’s shock, he (Atiku), at that time, started making moves, within the Peoples Democratic Party, to contest against Obasanjo at the presidential primary election. This clear act of disloyalty caused ‘malaria’ for then President Obasanjo, to the extent that the First Lady, Stella (now late), had to be sent to Atiku to plead with him to have a re-think.

“To the surprise of Baba (as Obasanjo was called in Aso Rock circles then), Atiku had divided the Governors’ Forum, to the extent that he was already controlling 70 per cent of the governors; and as you know, as far as the presidential primary poll was concerned, the governors held the yam and the knife. They were in control of virtually all delegates from their respective states.”

The source also noted that the fact that a VP could dare his boss in that fashion was capable of establishing a lifetime enmity.

“This is because a VP that seeks to unseat you through democratic means, and take your position, can equally poison you to death,” he summed.

But Wosi, Atiku’s aide, shared a different view. He said the rumour that Atiku plotted to contest against Obasanjo in the 2003 PDP primary was long resolved, even before the primary election, as the then VP denied the allegation in its entirety.

“But it is clear from Obasanjo’s body language that he does not want Atiku as President because the latter foiled his third term ambition way back in 2006, because Atiku believed that such a constitution amendment would lead to dictatorship and a self-perpetuated presidency,” he averred.

But another aide of ex-VP Atiku has a different perception on the real cause of the seeming irresolvable tiff between Obasanjo and his principal.

The aide, Dr. Umar Ardo, a former Special Adviser to Atiku on Strategy and Political Matters, who may have fallen out with the former VP, said the crisis between the two politicians “transcends the need for sending emissaries to Obasanjo to forgive Atiku.”

“Obasanjo’s problem with Atiku is not personal, it’s only based on principles. It has to do with certain values. The only thing for Atiku to do is to meet those values, and here, we are talking about having the right approach to Nigeria and its people,” Ardo said, not wanting to make clarifications.

ATIKU’S ACCOUNT

While political pundits have continued to wonder why Obasanjo finds it difficult to forgive the many “sins” of his former deputy, some observers of Nigeria’s political sphere still share Wosi’s claim that Atiku’s ‘crime’ against his former boss was the role he played during the constitutional amendment exercise carried out under the Obasanjo regime, where he stood against the alleged third term agenda of his boss.

When asked why he and Obasanjo were at loggerheads towards the end of their tenure, Atiku himself had told newsmen, “My offence was that I disagreed with him on the amendment of the constitution to remove tenure/term limits or what was popularly called ‘the third term agenda’. In fact, he sent the then Attorney-General and Prof. Jerry Gana to my office to bring the draft amendments to the constitution. After going through (them), I found out that tenure limits had been removed. In other words, he could be President for life.

“I then asked them that ‘if I send you to the President, can you deliver this message?’ They said yes. I said ‘go and tell him I will not support it and (I) will fight it’.”

PAST EFFORTS AT RECONCILIATION

But having realised his ‘error’, Atiku had, in the past, made several attempts at ensuring that Obasanjo forgave ‘his many sins’.

In November, 2014, during the build-up to the 2015 general elections, Atiku, in company with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had met with Obasanjo in his Abeokuta home, where they apparently pleaded with him on the possibility of an Atiku presidency on the platform of the party.



Then, the Tinubu-led emissary to Obasanjo was thickened with the involvement of a former Minister of Education, Prof. Babalola Borisade (now late) and Elder Oyewole Fasawe, who were known to be very close to the former president, as well as Maxwell Gidado, Atiku’s Campaign Legal Officer.

Shortly after Atiku defected from the ruling APC to the PDP, former President Goodluck Jonathan had also advised the Wakili Adamawa (as Atiku is fondly called) to seek reconciliation with Obasanjo should his dream of becoming Nigeria’s president be realisable.

While acknowledging Obasanjo’s political sagacity as necessary for Atiku’s success in 2019, Jonathan insisted that the Turaki Adamawa (as Atiku is also called) would have to reach out to “our boss, Baba OBJ: the boss of all

bosses.”



“We’ve all learnt at different times that you ignore OBJ to your own peril. OBJ has the magic wand, respected at home and abroad,” Jonathan said.



Analysts are of the opinion that ex-President Jonathan, who many believed was fostered by Obasanjo to become Nigeria’s president during the 2011 general elections, might have spoken the truth and said it all, having suffered a deadly political blow, losing out in his bid to clinch a second term in office “due to the rift between him and Obasanjo.”



They are also of the opinion that finding the appropriate emissaries to beg Obasanjo and obtain his forgiveness is the second leg in Abubakar Atiku’s political destiny, since his re-defection to the PDP, was also part of Jonathan’s recommendation.



In apparent reaction to ex-president Jonathan’s advice, however, Atiku’s media spokesman, Mazi Paul Ibe, had promised that the former VP would not hesitate to work out meeting Obasanjo and begging for his pardon.



RECENT EFFORTS AT RECONCILIATION

The latest effort at reconciling Obasanjo and Atiku came barely three months ago; precisely in October, this year, when a former Chairman, PDP Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, visited Obasanjo at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Though journalists were prevented from having access to the venue of the meeting, sources close to the meeting told our correspondent that Markarfi spoke to the former president on how he could assist in rebuilding the party with the possibility of Atiku’s return.



Obasanjo was, however, said to have turned down the request on the ground that he was long done with PDP.



Also, The Point reliably gathered that members of the Action Democratic Party, a political party believed to have been sponsored by Atiku, led by Chief Alani Bankole, father of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, visited Obasanjo in his Abeokuta home with the possibility of getting his assistance and advice.



The former president allegedly told the visiting team in plain language that he would only support their political party provided they would not give Atiku the presidential ticket of their party.

But speaking in an interview with our correspondent in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Chairperson of the Atiku Abubakar Youths Movement, Hajia Halima Oba, said her principal would not hesitate to meet with Obasanjo again and still plead for forgiveness.

Oba, who emphasised that Atiku had pleaded for forgiveness from Obasanjo in the past, maintained that her principal was ready to go the extra mile towards ensuring “Obasanjo is placated.”

‘ATIKU DOESN’T NEED OBJ’S FORGIVENESS’

But the Acting Chairman of the Labour Party in Ogun State, Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, maintained a different stance.

Arabambi, who spoke with our correspondent on the phone, said Atiku did not need the

forgiveness of Obasanjo to win an election in Nigeria.

While maintaining that former President Obasanjo was not the only one that would vote Atiku into power, Arabambi lamented that Nigerians were seriously groaning under economic hardship foisted on them by the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government, which Obasanjo seriously campaigned for during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

EX-VP TARGETS CONSENSUS CANDIDATURE

Already, the ex-VP, encouraged by the warm reception accorded him at the recent Convention of the PDP, is reportedly talking to other presidential aspirants in the party, with a view to getting them stand down, so he can emerge a consensus candidate.


Sources at the ASG, his campaign headquarters, revealed that he had instituted committees, under him, to negotiate with other presidential hopefuls in the PDP, who include Malam Sule Lamido, and Makarfi, the immediate past chairman of the party.

Similarly, Atiku is said to have reached out to the camp of a former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwakwanso, an aggrieved APC chieftain believed to have finalised his move to defect to the PDP come next January.

“Contrary to insinuations, these gentlemen having presidential ambition have been receptive to Atiku, as he is not exerting influence on anybody; he is only laying his cards before them and

they all promised to give him the needed consideration. Soon, you will hear the good news that Atiku is the PDP consensus candidate,” the source, preferring anonymity, declared

SOURCE: http://www.newsproof.org/2017/12/2019-never-again-will-i-beg-obasanjo.html

He has been given all the respect he deserves, therefore canonizing will not be necessary. He is not the creator of Nigeria and cannot claim to have done fantastically well for the nation. Rather, he is one of the highest beneficiaries of Nigerian democracy. His attempt to make himself life-President which Atiku stood against remains the only sin Atiku committed against him. Beg him again for what?

ObJ can never make a good choice for this country.. he was the reason Buhari was installed when he decieved the Yoruba people to vote for a man that does not share thoughts of Nigeria belonging to a collection of people from so many different tribes and should be handled without nepotism . Yoruba people are always comfortable being used as a tool to achieve political aims by the Northerners . and they can never accept that. whenever you try to correct them, they will become adamant and stupid. Look at Tinubu. after rallying support for Buhari in 2015, he was ditched. now 2019 is coming and still they are making the same mistake again.. I pity those people.

atiku4President:
He has been given all the respect he deserves, therefore canonizing will not be necessary. He is not the creator of Nigeria and cannot claim to have done fantastically well for the nation. Rather, he is one of the highest beneficiaries of Nigerian democracy. His attempt to make himself life-President which Atiku stood against remains the only sin Atiku committed against him. Beg him again for what?

For all I care, Atiku is a slanderer and party prostitute. Over ambitious paltry being who always sabotage the finger that feeds him, he has proven himself as a VP also, did the same as APC candidate. We need vibrant and a
Intelligent person as the president not all these recyclers who paraded themselves as extraordinary who can make changes.

It's not OBJ's vote that matters. He has just one. However he has considerable influence within the mafia that decides who rules the country. Atiku needs to be anointed by those people

People sha just want to join Atikus head with OBJ ...all I kmoe is that OBJ is not God

Larryton:





For all I care, Atiku is a slanderer and party prostitute. Over ambitious paltry being who always sabotage the finger that feeds him, he has proven himself as a VP also, did the same as APC candidate. We need vibrant and a
Intelligent person as the president not all these recyclers who paraded themselves as extraordinary who can make changes.

When you say Atiku is a party prostitute or slanderer, you may need to be a little objective. Everybody tend to react when pushed to the wall. Now come to think of it, Atiku since 1993 has taken bold steps to become the President of Nigeria. This even at the heat of military onslaught against politicians. He worked hard to become Governor of Adamawa State in 1999 under PDP and people like Obasanjo who knew Atiku's political prowess reached out to him to abandon his Governorship position to become Nigeria's Vice President. This he did, collapsing his powerful PDM structure into mainstream PDP. Having served as VP for 8 years do you think it was wrong for him to aspire to succeed OBJ in 2007? Was Y' aradua better than Atiku in any way then? How can you beat a child and tell him not to cry? However, Atiku has never begged to be canonized Nigeria's President. All he has always asked for is a level playing ground for him to express himself politically. But this was never the case. May I ask you the imput of people like GEJ, OBJ, and so many other names in 1998 when PDP was being nursed into existence.Where were they then? I bet you they were nowhere to be found in the formative stage of the party in 1998. Except for people like Prof. Jerry Gana, Prof. T. U. Nwala, Awoniyi, Alex Ekwueme and so many other names, none of the people who now hold sway in the party made as much input as Atiku made to form the party.
The political predicament Atiku has been exposed to is very unfair, but we believe his Presidency is a dream whose time has come. Atiku's time is here.

Too long

Atiku is setting the stage for his failure in 2019. Obj knows all the corner in politics. Atiku should do the needful.

atiku4President:

When you say Atiku is a party prostitute or slanderer, you may need to be a little objective. Everybody tend to react when pushed to the wall. Now come to think of it, Atiku since 1993 has taken bold steps to become the President of Nigeria. This even at the heat of military onslaught against politicians. He worked hard to become Governor of Adamawa State in 1999 under PDP and people like Obasanjo who knew Atiku's political prowess reached out to him to abandon his Governorship position to become Nigeria's Vice President. This he did, collapsing his powerful PDM structure into mainstream PDP. Having served as VP for 8 years do you think it was wrong for him to aspire to succeed OBJ in 2007? Was Y' aradua better than Atiku in any way then? How can you beat a child and tell him not to cry? However, Atiku has never begged to be canonized Nigeria's President. All he has always asked for is a level playing ground for him to express himself politically. But this was never the case. May I ask you the imput of people like GEJ, OBJ, and so many other names in 1998 when PDP was being nursed into existence.Where were they then? I bet you they were nowhere to be found in the formative stage of the party in 1998. Except for people like Prof. Jerry Gana, Prof. T. U. Nwala, Awoniyi, Alex Ekwueme and so many other names, none of the people who now hold sway in the party made as much input as Atiku made to form the party.
The political predicament Atiku has been exposed to is very unfair, but we believe his Presidency is a dream whose time has come. Atiku's time is here.

My brother, no matter how you package a toilet, you can't turn it into your bedroom. The like of Atiku is too ambitious and can do anything for power, person like me will prefer to vote for a new person come 2019. Atiku isa no no for me sir

ATIKU that is your problem beg OBASANJO or not , GEJ remains PDP Last president of Nigeria

Larryton:








My brother, no matter how you package a toilet, you can't turn it into your bedroom. The like of Atiku is too ambitious and can do anything for power, person like me will prefer to vote for a new person come 2019. Atiku isa no no for me sir

Bros, na wa for u oo. We all have to be too ambitious oo. Time will change a lot of things anyway.

atiku4President:

Bros, na wa for u oo. We all have to be too ambitious oo. Time will change a lot of things anyway.

My dear brother, I am also an ambitious being but, I never let my ambition to override my principle as human, but most of our politicians sees ambition as do or die affair.

yarimo:
ATIKU that is your problem beg OBASANJO or not , GEJ remains PDP Last president of Nigeria

that's a blatant lie..but I can truthfully tell you that for Buhari to win by 2019 against atiku will mean he is rigging the elections.

Who cares?

i have the feeling Atiku will be best Nigerian president because nothing good ever comes out from anything obasenjo supports.

obasenjo met Nigeria economy in a good state. the highest denomination at the time was N50.

tokurbo cars was around 150k to 500k, but he destroyed the economy and introduce Ghana must go politics. hence the need for high denomination of N100, N200, N500 & N1000.

the blackmail of east and north with failed leaders with no vision for the country, like nnamdi azikewa on the nairanotes to gain acceptance.


its so unfortunate that nigeria never had good leader since 1960.

WE ARE WITH U SIR.

rifasenate11:
ObJ can never make a good choice for this country.. he was the reason Buhari was installed when he decieved the Yoruba people to vote for a man that does not share thoughts of Nigeria belonging to a collection of people from so many different tribes and should be handled without nepotism . Yoruba people are always comfortable being used as a tool to achieve political aims by the Northerners . and they can never accept that. whenever you try to correct them, they will become adamant and stupid. Look at Tinubu. after rallying support for Buhari in 2015, he was ditched. now 2019 is coming and still they are making the same mistake again.. I pity those people.

Thank you.

The fact still remains nobody can defeat Buhari in 2019. Though, we need a better, young and vibrant candidate aside Buhari and Atiku. The younger potentials we have in this country don't have the political sagacity to win a Presidential election in Nigeria.

Atiku is a no go area... We should stop deceiving ourselves; what was his impact to the nation when he was a VP. You don't have to be President to prove yourself. He want to become a President to score political points.

Meanwhile; Buhari has failed us... But he will still win...

rifasenate11:


that's a blatant lie..but I can truthfully tell you that for Buhari to win by 2019 against atiku will mean he is rigging the elections.

rigging of elections for your dreams abi?

Atiku will not be contesting against Buhari in 2019, rather he will be contesting against domestic and international kingmakers. He must win both camps to his side in order to overcome Obj's resistance to his choice. If he thinks wealth will win him the seat he is joking. The only international partner on his side is a businessman called Volpi who was fined many millions of dollars for financial irregularities in America. In his deposition and plea deal he ended up fingering Atiku and his wife, a woman Atiku married in an arrangement contract to steal money out of Nigeria. The woman was apprehended and she in turn corroborated Volpi's story. America has not taken a prosecutory action, they are waiting to hear from Atiku in a deposition in person. In a recent interview with Ovation, he confessed that once he becomes President he will have the necessary immunity under diplomatic treaty to enter America without any risk of arrest or indictment for pending violations.

It is actually believed there is a arrest warrant in effect to seize Atiku if he sets foot in any US territory. US and UK have extradition agreements for fugitives. This will explain also why Atiku does not travel to UK.



For Buhari, his obstacles are just domestic interests, he has won over the international community to his side. There are people in Nigeria today who are vehemently in opposition to Buhari's policy of fixing our refineries and putting them back into operation. If the refineries return into operation there will be no need for fuel importation and subsidies. There are people who went from nothing to billionaires with fuel importation contracts, and they are not ready to return to nothing without a fierce battle. Likewise in power generation. The number of licensed power generator importers is few but we have plenty wholesalers and distributors who sell to retailers and resellers from where end users purchase their equipment. The chain of wealth income and value distribution will collapse if Buhari fixed national grid and power generation and distribution becomes reliable. So they are oppossed to Buhari's success in power sector. Food imports is the same thing. Agricultural self-dependency will result in a die-off for importers of grains and mills.

Lately Nigeria has suffered near "total collapse" of the sovereingty and international supporters are jittery that a breakup of Nigeria will splinter loyalty and destroy their own economic input and wealth generation in the country. We are still not outside the forecast as many countries still believe it is already cracked and just one big boom is all it will take and the different sides of the wall will collapse and disintegrate. Buhari has a lot of political credibility and trust outside and theyve known him a long time, they see how he is overpowering the elements that can trigger disintegration, therefore they see his action as supportive and reassuring.

Atiku is unknown internationally, no proven track of political success. His track record is all on the negative side, even in business, where he claims to have strength. He gave access of domestic port operation to a foreigner for a mere 16% share...what kind of indigeneous businessman does something so silly? Beside, exhibiting a laxity in patriotism and surrendering national security to a foreign investor. Most countries guard their ports jealously and all logistics within are held under indigeneous interests as principal partner, not minor.

PDP as a party is alsso viewed as a platform for crooked politicians and businessmen to sabotage and compromise the citizens' interest and survival. Reflect on how many PDP ex ministers and aides are currently in exile for embezzlement or in jail for mismanagement as well their past governors indicted on foreign soil for corruption.

Atiku has everything to loose by ignoring Obasanjo, Baba has nothing to loose by ignoring Atiku.

Democracy in America should teach us that wealth and voters choice alone is a part of the electoral process, pressure groups and kingmakers are the true determinants of outcomes and victory. Nigeria is no different.

rifasenate11:
ObJ can never make a good choice for this country.. he was the reason Buhari was installed when he decieved the Yoruba people to vote for a man that does not share thoughts of Nigeria belonging to a collection of people from so many different tribes and should be handled without nepotism . Yoruba people are always comfortable being used as a tool to achieve political aims by the Northerners . and they can never accept that. whenever you try to correct them, they will become adamant and stupid. Look at Tinubu. after rallying support for Buhari in 2015, he was ditched. now 2019 is coming and still they are making the same mistake again.. I pity those people.

Tinubu cannot leave APC. He cannot abandon Osinbajo na. And he cannot join PDP that he never joined when they were in power. Is it now that they are in opposition that he will join them?

ImperialYoruba:
Atiku will not be contesting against Buhari in 2019, rather he will be contesting against domestic and international kingmakers. He must win both camps to his side in order to overcome Obj's resistance to his choice. If he thinks wealth will win him the seat he is joking. The only international partner on his side is a businessman called Volpi who was fined many millions of dollars for financial irregularities in America. In his deposition and plea deal he ended up fingering Atiku and his wife, a woman Atiku married in an arrangement contract to steal money out of Nigeria. The woman was apprehended and she in turn corroborated Volpi's story. America has not taken a prosecutory action, they are waiting to hear from Atiku in a deposition in person. In a recent interview with Ovation, he confessed that once he becomes President he will have the necessary immunity under diplomatic treaty to enter America without any risk of arrest or indictment for pending violations.

It is actually believed there is a arrest warrant in effect to seize Atiku if he sets foot in any US territory. US and UK have extradition agreements for fugitives. This will explain also why Atiku does not travel to UK.



For Buhari, his obstacles are just domestic interests, he has won over the international community to his side. There are people in Nigeria today who are vehemently in opposition to Buhari's policy of fixing our refineries and putting them back into operation. If the refineries return into operation there will be no need for fuel importation and subsidies. There are people who went from nothing to billionaires with fuel importation contracts, and they are not ready to return to nothing without a fierce battle. Likewise in power generation. The number of licensed power generator importers is few but we have plenty wholesalers and distributors who sell to retailers and resellers from where end users purchase their equipment. The chain of wealth income and value distribution will collapse if Buhari fixed national grid and power generation and distribution becomes reliable. So they are oppossed to Buhari's success in power sector. Food imports is the same thing. Agricultural self-dependency will result in a die-off for importers of grains and mills.

Lately Nigeria has suffered near "total collapse" of the sovereingty and international supporters are jittery that a breakup of Nigeria will splinter loyalty and destroy their own economic input and wealth generation in the country. We are still not outside the forecast as many countries still believe it is already cracked and just one big boom is all it will take and the different sides of the wall will collapse and disintegrate. Buhari has a lot of political credibility and trust outside and theyve known him a long time, they see how he is overpowering the elements that can trigger disintegration, therefore they see his action as supportive and reassuring.

Atiku is unknown internationally, no proven track of political success. His track record is all on the negative side, even in business, where he claims to have strength. He gave access of domestic port operation to a foreigner for a mere 16% share...what kind of indigeneous businessman does something so silly? Beside, exhibiting a laxity in patriotism and surrendering national security to a foreign investor. Most countries guard their ports jealously and all logistics within are held under indigeneous interests as principal partner, not minor.

PDP as a party is alsso viewed as a platform for crooked politicians and businessmen to sabotage and compromise the citizens' interest and survival. Reflect on how many PDP ex ministers and aides are currently in exile for embezzlement or in jail for mismanagement as well their past governors indicted on foreign soil for corruption.

Atiku has everything to loose by ignoring Obasanjo, Baba has nothing to loose by ignoring Atiku.

Democracy in America should teach us that wealth and voters choice alone is a part of the electoral process, pressure groups and kingmakers are the true determinants of outcomes and victory. Nigeria is no different.

Interesting.

Atiku has no proven track of political success. How about his emergence as the Governor of Adamawa in 99?

Also, Buhari has no known economic success nor contribution to the economy of the nation. This is a man known to have lived off of the state’s purse.

Atiku on the other hand is an employer, one of the major individual employers in Nigeria. His contribution to the economy and the reduction of unemployment in Nigeria is known, records are there.

How a man with no academic or practical experience on how to run a business or growth in his personal wealth/profit is better than a man who has been able to grow an empire [with or without government backing] beats me.

I’m no Atiku fam but the inability of political jobbers like yourself who try to sell fossilized failure to the general populace is quite sickening.

rifasenate11:


that's a blatant lie..but I can truthfully tell you that for Buhari to win by 2019 against atiku will mean he is rigging the elections.

you mean in biafra