Obasanjo on Atiku: I Dey Laugh O!
•Shema: He is just one of the aspirants, •Ayu endorses former vice-president
From Imam Imam in Lagos and Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja, 11.25.2010
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was his humorous, even comical self yesterday when approached by journalists to respond to the emergence of his former deputy, ex-Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the Northern Consensus Candidate in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential race.

Obasanjo was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to attend the Council of State meeting over the new national minimum wage.
Confronted by State House correspondents on his response to Atiku, the former president laughed for a long time, wiping his nose and face in the process.

When the news hounds persisted, Obasanjo used an inhaler which he sniffed for a long time.
Then he launched into a mischievous smile, saying “Ah, I dey laugh o!”
Every other question thrown at him elicited answers that did not correspond with the questions before he walked off saying “I am full of joy and I wish you and Nigerians the fullness of joy, I wish you peace and joy always,” folding his flowing agbada dress.

The Consensus Committee of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) had voted to pick Atiku on Monday as the region’s candidate to slug it out at the presidential primary of PDP with President Goodluck Jonathan.

Atiku beat former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, by just one vote. The other two aspirants, Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki and immediate past National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau, trailed them.

There had been no love lost between Obasanjo and Atiku since around 2003. The two were to engage in a bitter supremacy battle towards the end of Obasanjo presidency.

In the end, Atiku was forced out of PDP. He left for the then Action Congress (AC) without resigning as vice-president to contest the 2007 presidential election, which he lost.

Also yesterday, Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema said Atiku was just one of the presidential aspirants and that at the appropriate time, the North would speak on their choice.

Asked of his personal view on the matter, he said that his view does not represent that of the North and that at the due time, the North would speak on the matter.
Further efforts to draw more comments failed.

Also, Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako was adamant in his refusal to talk on the issue. He merely smiled and walked off when he realised it was the issue of Atiku the journalists wanted to broach.

Former Head of State and presidential aspirant of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, when asked of his view on zoning and if his party would adopt it replied, “zoning is a purely PDP affair, but CPC's constituency is the Federal Republic of Nigeria, anybody, anywhere can contest for any office he thinks he can achieve”.

But former Senate President Iyorchia Ayu, initially rumoured to be considering joining the PDP presidential race, has endorsed Atiku’s choice.

He said in a statement last night: “I received with joy the endorsement of my brother and friend, Atiku Abubakar, GCON, by the Consensus Committee of the Northern Political Leaders Forum. His endorsement marks the beginning of the end of tyranny in our political process and a step towards genuine democracy. It also brings to an end the first phase of the struggle to restore honour, integrity and equity in our political process. It clearly indicates, once more, that when dishonourable people assume power in this country and try to abuse their positions, especially by reneging on power-sharing arrangements that have kept this country together, honourable men and women would close ranks and stop them in the interest of the unity, peace and stability of this country.

“I welcome Atiku’s endorsement without reservation and call on all Nigerians to give him their total support to enable him win the PDP primaries and the 2011 general election.”

Meanwhile, Atiku has said the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is tight, but not unexpected.

Atiku told newsmen shortly after meeting with the Kano State Chapter of Atiku Campaign Organisation in Abuja that notwithstanding the “very tight” schedule of the timetable, INEC had to work very hard to ensure that the constitution was not compromised and that the credibility of the process and the integrity of the electoral body was assured.

“The INEC like the parties are operating a very tight schedule. But they need to work extremely hard to ensure that the sanctity of the constitution is not compromised and that the electoral process is credible, free and fair to give Nigerians an opportunity to decide who their leaders will be in 2011,” he said.

He called for vigilance on the part of Nigerians to ensure that the process of electing the nation’s leaders come 2011 is truly credible, free and fair.

“It is important for Nigerians to be vigilant in order to safe guard their votes and to ensure that the one man or one woman, one vote commitment of the government is not just a mantra,” he said.

Earlier, Atiku had addressed the Kano State delegation led by Alhaji Yahaya Bagobiri at the newly unveiled Media Centre of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation.
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