2019: Can Atiku Abubakar win PDP Presidential Ticket?

Fri, Jul 20, 2018 | By publisher


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For the fourth time in his political life, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is once again seeking to contest the 2019 presidential election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, but the journey promises to be a tough one

By Olu Ojewale

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has never hidden his ambition to rule Nigeria someday. For the fourth time since he left office in 2007, the former Customs boss has tried and failed to make it to get the plum job. He wants to try again.

Unlike last time in 2014 when he failed to get the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ticket to contest, Abubakar wants to be the presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party. It is believed the same ambition to get on the ballot in the 2019 presidential election drove him from the APC in November 2017 to join the PDP, having realised that President Muhammadu Buhari will be running for a second term in office.

In any case, returning to the PDP is like a home-coming for Abubakar who had been vice president to President Olusegun Obasanjo. But he also knows that getting the PDP presidential ticket will not be a walk in the park. As the former vice-president declares his ambition on Saturday, July 21, he must have also realised that he has an uphill ahead of him.

Since his return to the main opposition party in November last year, Abubakar has been singing about his intention to win the PDP presidential ticket. He has also been on the road meeting with prominent and not so prominent Nigerians, making many policy statements about what he will do if elected president.

For instance, while he was in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Tuesday, July 17, he declared as intolerable the spate of killings going on in the country, and promised to bring the insurgence to an end if voted in as president.

Nevertheless, he blamed the incessant killings on the alleged insincerity in the management of the national security, especially in the fight against Boko Haram, saying if given the opportunity, he will solve the problem without delay.

Dr. Sule Lamido

He said: “I was flying about 35,000 feet over Borno and Yobe states few hours ago, and all I could see were nothing but open plain lands; yet someone on ground will be telling me that he cannot see where Boko Haram insurgents are.

“I hereby promise you all that should I be elected as president, the issue of insecurity will become a thing of the past. I know there is insincerity in the management of the country’s security.”

Similarly, Abubakar promised to enthrone economic prosperity and put an end to unemployment of the Nigerian youths and as well provide healthcare services, among others.

He said: “Today, our schools and our healthcare systems are not functioning; our youths are roaming the streets jobless; yet there is a government in place. We must also recall that this is the same Nigeria whose security forces had been able to fight a civil war and kept the country united in just about two years and six months only. And most of the soldiers that fought on the side of Nigeria are from the north.”

The former vice-president, who has been a leading light on the campaign for the restructuring of Nigeria, has also been taking his campaign around the country, visiting prominent PDP leaders including governors elected on the party platform to solicit their support for his presidential ambition. In the past few months, Abubakar has taken his campaign to several parts of the country including in the South-East, South-South, South-West and North-East.

During his visit to Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State on June 19, Abubakar told Governor Seriake Dickson and the enlarged members of the PDP in the state, that he had come to the state for consultation, and to ask for their support for his presidential ambition to better the lives of Nigerians.

After many hours of a closed-door meeting with Dickson, Abubakar disclosed his mission to the state. He said among others, that he had been following the advocacy of the governor on the issue of restructuring. “I agree with you and to let you know that I have been advocating the issue of restructuring since 2004.  I want to invite you to join me to work together with me ahead of 2019 so that we can do it together,” he said.

The former vice president later presented a book written by him on the need for proper restructuring to Dickson. In his remark, Dickson, who described the former vice-president as a veteran in politics, noted that the 2019 presidential election will be a referendum through which the Nigerian voters will decide who governs them. He called on PDP members nationwide to rise up to the challenge of taking power from the incumbent government.

Makarfi
Ahmed Makarfi

During a similar visit to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in Port Harcourt, in March, Abubakar said he is offering himself to set the country on the path of growth, after the serial failure of the APC government under Buhari.

All these occurred at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during Atiku’s visit to consult with leaders of the People’s Democratic Party in the  state.

Abubakar said he is offering himself to set the country on the path of growth, after the serial  failure of the APC and that since 2015, the APC-led federal government has destroyed the education, health and infrastructural sectors through poor budgetary allocations  and releases.

He argued: “Since 2015, we have not seen a 100 kilometres constructed by the APC federal government anywhere in the country.”

The former vice president has also blamed the ruling APC of destroying the foundation of unity and cohesion of Nigeria. “I have never seen Nigeria so divided along religious, ethnic and regional lines. This division is as a result of the mismanagement of the APC,” he alleged. The former vice-president called on Rivers State PDP stakeholders to support his ambition to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

That notwithstanding, Wike urged the PDP members, irrespective of their status, to ensure that the party produces a candidate with a track record capable of returning the PDP to Presidential Villa.

Similarly, he appealed to all the PDP presidential aspirants to contest within acceptable limits, arguing that the race is not a do-or-die affair but a movement to oust the APC.

Wike said: “Every presidential aspirant must see himself as a member of the larger PDP family. We must do everything  to ensure that PDP returns to the presidential villa in 2019.

“Only one aspirant will become a candidate. We will do everything to ensure that the party comes out with a candidate that has a track record to upstage the APC,” he said.

Apparently being careful not to commit himself or the state to any candidate, Wike disclosed that he had received a similar request for support from Sule Lamido, a former governor of Jigawa State. Thus, he assured that other aspirants would be offered the platform to consult with Rivers PDP members.

“God will make sure that the right candidate emerges. When the right candidate emerges, we will team up and remove this bad government. There is no benefit that Rivers State has gotten from this APC federal government. All the APC federal government is doing is plotting to rig the 2019 elections,” Wike added.

At another forum in the United Kingdom, Abubakar promised that if voted to power, he will achieve restructuring of the country in six months. Answering questions from an audience at Chatham House on Tuesday, April 24, the presidential aspirant promised to offer a matching grant of $250 million each to the 36 states of the federation to challenge them to enhance their Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.

Gombe Gov.Dankwambo
Gombe Gov.Dankwambo

He said: “It is doable. In fact, what I’ve told many Nigerians at home is that if you give me six months, I know I will be able to achieve a fast level of restructuring, otherwise the concurrent list issue.

“It’s very easy to deal with it because there is no state that you will call and say ‘I want to give you this responsibility together with the resources’, and will say ‘no’.

“I want the people of every state to be able to hold their leaders accountable because, at the moment, the federal government is being accused of everything, even when it’s not in its area of responsibility. I want to be able to resolve that so that citizens can hold their local leaders responsible for lapses and maladministration.”

Apart from engaging in vigorous consultation in various states and making pronouncements of what he will do to move the country forward, if given the opportunity to govern the country, Abubakar is also getting involved in humanitarian services.

The Atiku Care Foundation, ACF, his non-governmental humanitarian programme, has been visible in some of the troubled states, especially in the North East. The group has been donating relief materials to internally displaced persons, IDPs. The foundation has given foods and cash, among others to the IDPs in states such as Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Zamfara sates.

Nevertheless, Abubakar knows that he will not have an easy ride in his quest to get the party ticket. Apart from Lamido, some other aspirants have also announced their intention to fly the party flag at the next presidential election. They include Ahmed Makarfi, former governor of Kaduna State and Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor of Kano State. Also being speculated to be in the race, but yet to formally move from the ruling APC to the PDP are Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

With the likes of Lamido, Makarfi, and Shekarau in the race for the party ticket, Abubakar is obviously facing some formidable opponents.

Lamido, a former minister of Foreign Affairs in the President Olusegun Obasanjo regime, has  experienced of more than 30 years. He is a loyalist to Obasanjo. He was one of the G-7 governors who rebelled against the PDP ahead of the 2015 general elections, but he and Babagida Aliyu, the then governor of Niger State did not join the APC because he was reportedly advised by Obasanjo against it.

Apart from his political experience, another thing that gives Lamido an advantage over Abubakar, is arguably, is his closeness to Obasanjo who has been supporting his presidential ambition since he finished his term as governor of Jigawa State.

In a press said interview, Obasanjo once expressed confidence in Lamido as capable of ruling the country. He said: “Given his background, performance and credibility, he is competent. With his exposure, he can stand shoulder to shoulder with anybody.

“If it is the wish of the people, it is okay. He did not tell me he is wishing but being the wish of the people let’s wait and see. Based on his track record, would you say he is not competent?”

Another aspirant for the ticket is Shekarau. The former minister of Education formally declared his intention to contest for the presidency in the 2019 general elections on the platform of the PDP in a letter sent to the party.

In the letter made available to journalists on Monday, April 30, Shekarau said that his decision to seek for PDP’s presidential ticket was based on clarion calls from Nigerians and after wide consultations.

The letter said in part: “As you may be aware, for quite some time now, since after the 2015 general elections, there have been various calls made by individuals and groups from many quarters, nationwide, urging my humble candidature for the contest of the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the next general elections due in 2019.

Secondus
Secondus

“I strongly believe that the people are doing so out of their conviction of contentment and satisfaction based upon the modest successes recorded while I served as the governor of Kano State (2003 to 2011), and also as a minister of Education (July 2014 – May 2015).”

In response to the calls, Shekarau said he consulted across the geopolitical zones and different interest groups, who examined and appraised the issue and advised me accordingly. Based on the advice, he had decided “to accept the clarion calls, and will in due course and in accordance with the guidelines of my party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, offer my humble self for the contest of the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during the forthcoming 2019 general elections,” Shekarau said.

Although Shekarau does not have a good father like Obasanjo to support his ambition, he is believed be a grassroots politician who can mobilise support for his ticket.

Perhaps, in the same mode is Makarfi. The former governor of Kaduna State, who once led the PDP as the former chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, declared his presidential ambition when he spoke journalists at his residence in Kaduna on Monday, June 18. He said after series of consultations, he had decided to seek for the party ticket to contest the presidential election in 2019.

Makarfi expressed belief that his record in public service should be enough to persuade his party men and women to vote for him.

Indeed, all the aspirants are seen to be eminently qualified to seek to for the party ticket, but only one is going to get the nod.

But in terms of charisma, mobilisation, politicking and financial strength to prosecute the ambition, Abubakar appears to be the candidate to beat. At a function recently, Okwesilieze Nwodo, former Enugu State governor, poured encomiums on Abubakar as “a detribalised Nigerian, with the capacity to rescue the country.”

Nwodo, who is a member of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council and former PDP national chairman, said the former vice-president is what the nation needs to stop the spate of killings going on in the country and to restore hope again. “Another four years at the point where we are today, this country will cease to exist,” Nwodo said.

He also dismissed allegations against Abubakar on corruption. He challenged anyone with a shred of evidence against him to come forward with it, and lamented that thus far, no one has approached any of the anti-corruption agencies in that regard. “People say he is corrupt but he has challenged us to blow the whistle on him. We are waiting for a whistle to be blown. He has never held a position where he can approve monies,” he said.

Another supporter of the former vice-president is Isa Dansalla, one of the founding leaders of the APC, who recently defected to the PDP. Dansalla, a one-time chairman of Kajuru local government area under the ruling APC in Kaduna State, said the former VP posses the charisma to defeat the incumbent APC as well as restore Nigeria to its past glory.

He said in an interview: “Atiku is a partisan politician who has demonstrated maturity and patience in keeping the country united. He respects the rule of law which will in turn bring about fairness and justice to all citizens.

“He believes in God’s willingness upon his life, that is why he has always accepted any outcome of elections he participated with good faith since the time of the late Yar’adua and MKO Abiola.”

Besides, Dansalla saluted Abubakar’s courage to challenge the injustice of the third term bid of Obasanjo. “He is the highest employer of labour and has the technical knowhow to move the economy of Nigeria forward…

“As a founding member of our great party, PDP, he deserves to lead us and the entire nation to the promised-land and fix the problems we are facing today under the current administration,” he said.

But whether Abubakar will be fourth time lucky is a question for providence. His aspiration for the ultimate political pinnacle dates back to 1992.

Abubakar, a freshly retired Customs boss, first contested for the presidential ticket of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, one of the two parties created by General Ibrahim Babangida, the then head of state. He was sponsored then by Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, a retired general, in 1992. He came third in the convention held in Jos, Plateau State. The primary was won by Moshood Abiola, the eventual winner of the controversial June 12, 1993, presidential election.

Kwankwaso
Kwankwaso

Despite his political sagacity and war chest to prosecute his campaign, Abubakar seems to have some moral issues that may work against him during the PDP primary election. This has been his third time to return to the party. The former VP had left the PDP in 2006 when it became obvious that Obasanjo was working against his ambition and even wanted him removed from office as VP.

Thus, he left the PDP and joined the defunct Action Congress, AC, in 2006. He used the platform to contest the presidential election. After losing the presidential election to the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007, he returned the PDP. In October 2010, he announced his intention to contest for the presidency. But he eventually lost to the then President Goodluck Jonathan, prompting him to leave the party again and returned to the AC, which had then become Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. The ACN and three other parties subsumed to become APC in 2014.

Abubakar contested for the APC ticket along with Buhari, Kwankwaso, Governor Rochas Okorocha Imo State and Sam Nda-Isaiah, a newspaper publisher. Buhari eventually won, while Abubakar came third behind Kwankwaso.

According to an insider, Abubakar would have won the primary election of the APC if not for the last minute campaign in which his loyalty to the ACN was queried. He was accused of abandoning the party and returning to the PDP when he lost the presidential election and that when he lost the PDP primary election to Jonathan, he found it convenient to return to the party.

Even now that he has vowed that whether he loses or wins, he will remain in the party, will anyone believe him?

Besides, with the kind of influence that Obasanjo still has in the PDP, it seems unlikely that the former president will support his candidature. In any case, at 71 year-old, age does not seem to be on his side to wait another term. So, for Abubakar it is now or never!

– Jul. 20, 2018 @ 19:015 GMT

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