http://thenationonlineng.net/2019-fresh-trouble-for-atiku-in-southeast/

By: Yusuf Alli On: October 21, 2018

•Ekweremadu, governors weigh options
•Why S/East leaders are angry
•Saraki wades in, holds talks with Ekweremadu

Southeast political leaders are accusing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of reneging on some pre-convention agreements reached with him.

And this is the cause of the bad blood generated in the zone by Atiku’s choice of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi as running mate for the 2019 election, The Nation can now report.

Particularly irked by the alleged renege are Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and some governors in the zone, sources said yesterday.

Associates of the Deputy Senate President and some PDP leaders in the Southeast are already putting pressure on Ekweremadu to review his status in the party.

His options are to defect from the party or remain in PDP to fight for survival.

The alleged agreements include consultation with Southeast leaders on how to pick vice presidential candidate; consensus on other positions conceded to the zone; finding a meeting point with the zone on Atiku’s idea of restructuring; need to spend one term in office and cede power to the Southeast in 2023; the offer of the VP slot to Ekweremadu (Right of First Refusal) before any other candidate.

Atiku had allegedly offered Ekweremadu the vice presidential slot a year ago.

Sources said the Deputy Senate President’s response had always been: “let us get the ticket first. I am interested in the Southeast being in the mainstream of power equation in Nigeria.”

As the PDP Port Harcourt convention approached, majority of the Southeast leaders in PDP were determined to work for Atiku, hence their decision to shun overtures from Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to team up with Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

It was gathered that a few days before the convention, Ekweremadu and some Southeast governors shunned all the meetings convened by Wike.

Within a week of Atiku’s emergence as PDP presidential candidate, he named Obi as running mate, causing bad blood in some political quarters in the zone.

The first salvo was fired by Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi who said Obi’s choice was made without consultation with leaders of the zone, although he was quick to add that he has nothing personally against Obi.

Obi himself has since launched a mission to douse the tension, moving round the zone to talk to those that matter.

But sources said the issue has continued to be a source of worry for Atiku in the Southeast.

“All our leaders have no grudges against Obi but they are just unhappy about how Atiku reneged on some of the agreements reached with him especially the essence of carrying stakeholders along,” a well- placed source said yesterday.

“Shortly after he emerged as the PDP candidate, he has stopped consulting Ekweremadu, Southeast governors and leaders.

“The painful thing is that he bowed to pressure from outside the Southeast to pick Obi and he did not care to revert to these leaders and governors on his choice.

“For instance, Ekweremadu (the highest ranking political office holder in the Southeast) was not briefed and has not been briefed till today on why Obi was picked.

“Yet, it was Ekweremadu who coordinated and delivered the block votes from the Southeast to Atiku at the convention.

“The assumption is that if Atiku can treat South-East leaders and governors in this manner as a candidate, what if he becomes the President. It is just a matter of trust. When in need, he offered Ekweremadu the position of running mate. Courtesy demands that he should have also confided in Ekweremadu before choosing Obi.”

Another source confirmed that following pressure from his associates and PDP leaders in the Southeast, Ekweremadu has started weighing options on his next step.

Investigation revealed that the Deputy President of the Senate has to choose between remaining in PDP or defecting to prove a point that he is a force to reckon with.

The third option is to remain in PDP and sabotage Atiku by entering into an alliance with President Muhammadu Buhari on a good deal for the Southeast if he is re-elected.

The source added: “From the look of things, it seems there is a conspiracy within PDP to alienate Ekweremadu.

“Apart from Atiku, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has not deemed it fit to call the Deputy President of the Senate on why Ekweremadu was not invited to the meeting where Obi was nominated. Even after the nomination, Secondus has not met with Ekweremadu on the choice of Obi.

“The party and Atiku went ahead to constitute the Presidential Campaign Council without any input from Ekweremadu. This is an insult.

“Some powers that be are angry with Ekweremadu for backing Atiku and the same presidential candidate does not care a hoot about Ekweremadu.

“It is regretful that we all betrayed Wike and now Atiku is abandoning our leaders.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “With the choice of Obi, Atiku is going about as if he has the South-East in his pocket. Far from it, the scenario may be different during the presidential election.

“Atiku needs to sit down afresh with Ekweremadu and other leaders to win votes from the zone. These are matchmakers in their own right.

“The unfinished business includes the following:

*Reaching consensus on other posts to concede to the zone;

* Finding a meeting point with the zone on Atiku’s idea of restructuring;

*Need to spend one term in office; and

*Ceding power to the Southeast in 2023

“Without definite answers to these demands, Atiku should forget the backing of the Southeast.”

It was also gathered that Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is the Director -General of the PCC, has waded into the complaints of the Southeast leaders.

A PDP leader said: “I am aware that Saraki has opened up talks with Ekweremadu.”

Mynd44
Lalasticlala
OAM4J

Ekweremadu should suck it up and accept his fate. He has been used and dumped and that is nothing new in politics. It is obvious that powerful interests, within and outside his SE sphere of influence, conspired to render him politically useless, so he shouldn't blame Atiku too much because Atiku himself must have been influenced by those same interests. Obi is the reigning 'new kid on the block' now so he should fall in-line and get with the program.

Ekweremmadu, should know the he remains a force to reckone with in South East politics. He should not take steps that will kill his political future. Currently, he is not in the good books of APC. Apc is still licking their wound from what him and saraki did to them. He is coming back to the Senate in 2019. Atiku/Ekweremmadu will not sell PDP to Nigerians. I will advice him to remain calm if he still want to be relevant in South East politics cos uncalculated steps taken might spell doom for him .

A

Lifeless propaganda

dokyOloye:
Lifeless propaganda

Nation newspaper BAT

We shall see

Promises Not Kept by Atiku

The unfinished business includes the following:

*Reaching consensus on other posts to concede to the zone;

* Finding a meeting point with the zone on Atiku’s idea of restructuring;

*Need to spend one term in office; and

*Ceding power to the Southeast in 2023

mcheeeew, they never see anything. They think say transfer market don close. More people are still coming to chant SAI BABA even our Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. If we calculate without sentiment, Atiku cannot win presidential election. S/E and S/S, don't be surprise if @buhari gather more vote than @atiku there. The first step Atiku took was wrong by appointing his vice without consulting the elders and leaders of the region. Either we like it or not BUHARI till 2023.

These people just like to feel important. What electoral value or political relevance does Ekweremadu have outside his senatorial district, let alone throughout Igbo land?

Obi is widely respected because of his acclaimed prudence and incorruptible record. Not even Buhari's EFCC can find anything on him. We can't say the same for Ekweremadu.

Hedonini:
These people just like to feel important. What electoral value or political relevance does Ekweremadu have outside his senatorial district, let alone throughout Igbo land?

Obi is widely respected because of his acclaimed prudence and incorruptible record. Not even Buhari's EFCC can find anything on him. We can't say the same for Ekweremadu.

Shut up!

lemme be observing ..... like if u want to enta the VAR room too

iksmoore:
Ekweremmadu, should know the he remains a force to reckone with in South East politics. He should not take steps that will kill his political future. Currently, he is not in the good books of APC. Apc is still licking their wound from what him and saraki did to them. He is coming back to the Senate in 2019. Atiku/Ekweremmadu will not sell PDP to Nigerians. I will advice him to remain calm if he still want to be relevant in South East politics cos uncalculated steps taken might spell doom for him .

I think I agree with the southeast leaders on this. They must have an agreement and consensus with Atiku. They must not make the mistake Tinubu and the southwest made with Buhari and APC, supporting him blindly only to be dumped at the end. Which may be Tinubu's fate if Buhari wins a second term. They are only waiting to nail him finally. It high time we began to assert ourselves and demand politically. If Atiku will not yield to our demands then, he should forget it.
God punish wike and his greed. He is trying to spite ekweremadu and southeast leaders to anger, to cause division in PDP in other that Atiku fail. He is an Atiku hater, an ApC mole and a greedy ambitious and vindictive fellow, who is still pained at the lost of his chosen canditidate. Atiku should be careful and watch his back when dealing with wike

The choice of Peter Obi is not the problem, but making sure that Atiku keeps to his agreement with the southeast after riding on our support to become president is more important.

"The third option is to remain in PDP and sabotage Atiku by entering into an alliance with President Muhammadu Buhari on a good deal for the Southeast if he is re-elected."


Now this is laughable.

Ask Shehu Sani, Ibikunle Amosun, Okorocha and the likes and you will understand what it means to have an agreement with Buhari.
Only then will you realise that Atiku is a saint where Buhari is involved

It's a family affair , they would settle it peacefully.

Many Igbo leaders will sabotage peter obi. Ekweremadu is just one out of many unhappy stakeholders.

I trust Obi, he will pacify them. Ekweremmadu wouldn't have worked and where were the south East governors when Obi was the chairman SE governors' forum.

the pdp implosion is a matter of time.

wike was angry with pdp governors and south east party leaders for not voting tambuwal.and he has promised to deal with them.
the first thing he did was to rubbish them and handpicked obi who was never among the list of what pdp leaders drafted.
since then wike and secondus has stopped consulting ekweremadu and pdp governors again. just like pcc arrangement they did recently without consulting any south east party leaders.
if atiku eventually wins the presidency then south east leaders will be relegated from the party

Airforce01:
It's a family affair , they would settle it peacefully.

how do u settle a problem where the generalismo of pdp wike has threatened to deal with south east pdp for voting against his candidate tambuwal.
wike is indirectly working against the party by causing chaos in south east

Anambralstson:

Nation newspaper BAT

have u worshipped wike today.
the generalismo of pdp dealing with your leaders and rubbing poo on their face

wike will keep controlling south east leaders from the corners of his room in portharcourt

The third option is to remain in PDP and sabotage Atiku by entering into an alliance with President Muhammadu Buhari on a good deal for the Southeast if he is re-elected.

Buhari does not need saboteurs in SE to win. He will win clean, with or without SE. Direct your saboteurs to APGA please...

princdebola201:
the pdp implosion is a matter of time.

wike was angry with pdp governors and south east party leaders for not voting tambuwal.and he has promised to deal with them.
the first thing he did was to rubbish them and handpicked obi who was never among the list of what pdp leaders drafted.
since then wike and secondus has stopped consulting ekweremadu and pdp governors again. just like pcc arrangement they did recently without consulting any south east party leaders.
if atiku eventually wins the presidency then south east leaders will be relegated from the party

Obi was Saraki's choice, not Wike.
Atiku accepted Obi on a trade with Saraki. PDP does not need Wike to win SS, there is no trade value in Wike.

I concur on your last statement. PDP has not won, see how they already put Ekweremadu in his place...if they win SE will beg for relevance in the Administration.

Omeokachie:
"The third option is to remain in PDP and sabotage Atiku by entering into an alliance with President Muhammadu Buhari on a good deal for the Southeast if he is re-elected."


Now this is laughable.

[b]Ask Shehu Sani, Ibikunle Amosun, Okorocha [/b]and the likes and you will understand what it means to have an agreement with Buhari.
Only then will you realise that Atiku is a saint where Buhari is involved

Their problem is with party, not President.

The problem under this topic is not with party but with Atiku. When in desperation he secured agreements with SE. They delivered their part but when it was turn for Atiku to deliver he reneged. This is a charge on his character. He is not a man of honor!

BabaRamota1980:


Their problem is with party, not President.

The problem under this topic is not with party but with Atiku. When in desperation he secured agreements with SE. They delivered their part but when it was turn for Atiku to deliver he reneged. This is a charge on his character. He is not a man of honor!

When Buhari was in desperation he secured agreements with nPDP. They delivered their part but when it was turn for Buhari to share positions, he reneged. This my friend is a charge on his character. He is not a man of honor, just like Shehu Sani can now testify! See?

Omeokachie:



When Buhari was in desperation he secured agreements with nPDP. They delivered their part but when it was turn for Buhari to share positions, he reneged. This my friend is a charge on his character. He is not a man of honor, just like Shehu Sani can now testify! See?

The members of nPDP were promised to be given party structure in their respective states. It happened!

So what promise did Oyegun fail to honor with nPDP? Outline them

BabaRamota1980:


The members of nPDP were promised to be given party structure in their respective states. It happened!

So what promise did Oyegun fail to honor with nPDP? Outline them

Party structure in their states you say?
PDP had control of Kwara, Adamawa, Rivers, Kano, Sokoto. Why would they need to be given structures that is already under their care and control? It's like saying to me that you dash me my savings!

CPC produced the president.
ACN produced the vice president.
CPC wanted to also produce the Senate President.
ACN wanted to also produce the speaker.
CPC produced the SGF.

Why do they then blame Saraki and Dogara for hijacking offices for themselves?
See why nobody trusts Buhari to keep to agreements!