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- The former Vice President has expressed the belief that the newly formed mega opposition party, APC has a good chance to defeat the ruling Party (PDP) in 2015.
- He said he had discussions with former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, and that they expressed their readiness to submit their interests for the overall interest of the party.
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed the belief that the newly formed mega opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), has a good chance to defeat the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.
He said the opposition only needs to make sure there was internal democracy within their ranks and for the leaders to downplay their ambition and interests for the overall interest of the party.
Atiku said from what he has seen so far and discussions he has had with some of the leaders, the party has all it takes to succeed.
Speaking in Lagos on Thursday at an interactive session with media executives, the former Vice President, however, noted that the new party must be guided by the Constitution, while insisting that its leaders must be selfless.
He said he had discussions with former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, and that they expressed their readiness to submit their interests for the overall interest of the party.
“APC is a completely new experiment because the leaders have all agreed to shelve their ambitions for the overall interest of the party. It has the chance to succeed if well managed.
“There is the need for politicians to reinvent themselves. I met Asiwaju (Tinubu) last night (Wednesday) and we agreed that there is
need for politicians to be more realistic,” Atiku said.
He added that his consultations across the country on his next political move was not about Presidential ambition, saying it is more about making sure the country is on the right track.
“I don’t have to be President. We have to be more concerned about Nigeria. The starting ground is for us to forget about the Presidency and work towards making the party strong. We must prevent Nigeria from becoming a one party state,” he said.
On the continued crisis in Rivers State, Atiku said there was no doubt that the Presidency has a hand in it, adding that all facts point in that direction.
He said the continued retention of the Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, in Rivers State when the Police Service Commission had approved his redeployment only shows that Aso rock has direct involvement in the altercations between the state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and the police chief.
“How do you explain a CP that was redeployed and recalled back to Rivers,” he asked.
On the emergence of Adamu Mu’azu, former Bauchi State Governor, as the PDP national chairman, Atiku said when the chairman visited him in Dubai that he had interest in the chairmanship position, he told him that with the current structure, it would be difficult for him to make any difference.
“I told him, ‘You don’t have what it takes to take the party to normalcy. I brought you into the party, supported you to become Governor. Almost all the founding members have left the party’.
“So, Nigerians should be given the opportunity of choosing between two major parties. The crisis in PDP is even beyond the President. It’s not about the President.
“There are contradictions within the party. Let there be a democratic consensus,” he added.
Atiku was also in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Thursday in continuation of his nation-wide consultations with stakeholders on his next political move, in line with his promise to leaders of the APC when they visited last December.
During a courtesy call on the state Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, the former Vice President expressed happiness over the positive changes that have taken place in Ibadan metropolis, which, he said, had transformed the city into a beautiful state capital.
“What always gladdens my heart is that I always see changes anytime I come back to Ibadan; changes in additional infrastructural development; changes in city renewal; changes in quality of life; changes in orderliness on the streets and changes in cleanliness of the streets.
“That is really what good governance is all about, and I want to commend you and praise you for these wonderful achievements, and I pray that the good people of Oyo State will continue to give you the support that you need to continue to do these good works that you have been doing,” he told the Governor.
In his response, Ajimobi commended Atiku for the visit, describing him as a broad-based, patriotic and consummate politician with impeccable character and humble disposition.
