‘Growing endorsements for Atiku/Obi presidency driven by restructuring pledge’
Recent rounds of regional bulk votes and endorsements for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have created more hopes that majority of the structural anomalies bedeviling the country may be on their way out if PDP recovers the presidency on February 16.
Barely few days after the Miyetti Ala Cattle association, the lead Fulani herders group opened up in endorsing Atiku in Adamawa and North East in general, strategic socio-political blocks controlling the North, S-West, N-Delta, M-Belt elders announced their adoption of the PDP presidential pair.
Otherwise, the Northern Elders Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze, PANDEF, M-Belt Forum meet in Abuja and raised issues of national concerns saying Nigeria is seriously being steered towards insecurity, deep division, anarchy and pinching poverty level in the last three years and few months.
Accordingly, the resolution to adopt Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for the presidency was adopted by Afenifere, (South-West); Northern Elders Forum, (North); Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF; Ohanaeze Ndigbo (South-East) and the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, at the end of a meeting which held at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel, at the weekend.
Though the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) chided the resolution, the joint position was immediately welcomed by Atiku who said the rare unity of prominent Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides would further energise him to lead a Nigeria where neither tribe nor tongue would impair self-actualisation.
A communiqué issued at the end of the summit of the leaders drawn from the six-geopolitical zones, revealed that the groups were left with no option than to adopt Atiku, given his political savvy, compared to the younger ones in the contest. Among prominent Nigerians at the summit, yesterday, were Chief Ayo Adebanjo, (Afenifere), Prof. Ango Abdullahi (NEF), Chief Edwin Clark, (PANDEF); Chief Nnia Nwodo (Ohaneze), and Dr. Bitrus Pogu (MBF). Also present were Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Prof. ABC Nwosu, Alhaji Buba Galadima, Amb. Yahaya Kwande, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Dr. Junaid Muhammed and a host of others. ‘Why we’re adopting Atiku’
Though the group acknowledged the existence of younger and highly qualified candidates, but advanced reasons for its choice of Atiku saying “The Forum, having concluded a thorough evaluation of all candidates aspiring to lead our nation through its current challenges and engineer genuine national rebirth, has decided to note that several of the younger candidates who presented themselves for the Presidential election, demonstrated great capacity and promise to lead this country creditably and ensure that it engenders proper social and economic development to its people.
“However most of these qualified younger candidates do not, at present, have the machinery and structures to win a Presidential election in Nigeria.
“Therefore, the forum adopts the candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Consensus Candidate for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as he has demonstrated the deep understanding of the critical need of the country at this time and possesses the capacity to proffer clear solutions in that respect. “Calls on all Nigerians, irrespective of religious or ethnic background to stand in unison and vote for Atiku Abubakar on the 16th of February 2019 and ensure that they defend their votes,” the Communiqué averred in parts.
