Presidential aspirants in
the Peoples Democratic Party, such as Attahiru Bafarawa, Ibrahim Dankwambo and
Senate President Bukola Saraki, appear to be competing for the endorsement of
retired leaders of Nigeria, hopping from Minna to Abeokuta, where
coincidentally the ex-leaders have their homes on the hilltop.
Only one PDP presidential
aspirant has made a distinctive difference: adding former President Goodluck
Jonathan to his endorsement itinerary. The others have made Minna and Abeokuta
hilltop palaces, their favourite destinations.
Senate President Saraki,
who is still coy about his presidential ambition, was the second among the
latter group to join the endorsement train to the hilltops, when he visited
former military president General Ibrahim Babangida on Wednesday 8 August.
Former governor of Sokoto,
Bafarawa had beaten him to the front seat, when he visited Obasanjo on Sunday 5
August. As he confessed, he had learnt from Obasanjo leadership school in the
past, a lesson that made him to save about N11.5 billion in his state, which he
bequeathed to his successor. He came to learn more as he hoped to clinch the
PDP presidential ticket to square up to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari in
next year’s February election.
Obasanjo, who considers
himself probably the best leader Nigeria ever had, even gave his guest some
extra leadership lessons. He charged Bafarawa to strengthen the leadership
qualities he identified in him, including humility, diligence, selflessness and
lack of discrimination...
Saraki followed on
Wednesday 8 August to the Minna Hilltop home of Gen. Babangida.
In a tweet about his
mission, Saraki said he “Dropped in to pay my respects to General Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida. Always happy to be with a father and leader”.
On Monday, Saraki surfaced
in Abeokuta to meet former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has floated his own
party and has turned himself into a rallying force for anti-Muhammadu Buhari
politicians. Cornered by media men on the purpose of the visit, he dropped a
not too-honest excuse. He said he came to see the grand Olusegun Obasanjo
Presidential Library, which was formally opened last year.
“You know I missed the
official opening of the library and that is why I have decided to come and see
the place and honestly it is beautiful. We are very proud of what he has done
here,” he said.
A day after Saraki left
Abeokuta, Gombe governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo also came knocking at Obasanjo’s
hilltop home, along with a retinue of aides. The two-term governor and former
accountant-general of the Nigerian federation is the latest declarant for the
highest position in the land.
He is expected to jet to
Minna Hilltop soon, following the trail of other aspirants.
In Minna on Monday night,
General Ibrahim Babangida also hosted another presidential aspirant, Attahiru
Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto State. Bafarawa visited Obasanjo last week,
with the former leader urging him to improve on his leadership weaknesses.
Yusuf Abubakar, Director
Media and Publicity for the Bafarawa Campaign Oragnisation(BCO) said the Minna
trip was in continuation of Bafarawa’s political consultations on his
presidential aspiration.
Abubakar said that
Babangida and Bafarawa, met behind closed doors at the host’s hilltop residence
and their discussion was fruitful.
The media aide said that
Bafarawa was accompanied on the visit by the Director General of BCO, Sen. Paul
Wampana, Mrs Becky Igwe, Alhaji Sani Kabiru, Dr Amanze Obi and Dr Iliya
Stephen, among others.
Atiku Abubakar, another
presidential aspirant who paid a second visit to Babangida on 2 July and had
used all available fora to earn Obasanjo’s blessings got his hope dashed when
Obasanjo openly opposed his ambition.
Obasanjo said Atiku should
never count on his support.
In an interview with
Premium Times, Obasanjo swore he will never support Atiku and the doctor of theology
also invoked God to buttress his position:
“How can I be on the same
side with Atiku?” Obasanjo asked. “To do what?”
“If I support Atiku for
anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know,
Atiku can never enjoy my support,” he added.
“I know Atiku very well.
And I have mentioned my position with Atiku. My position has not changed,” he
said.
On a personal note, he
added, “If my children are getting married, he has sent representatives. If his
children are getting married, I have sent representatives. That is social. That
is not political.
But “on political ground,
my position has not changed. If I support Atiku for a political office other
than the one I supported him in the past when I did not know him,” maybe, but
not “now that I know him, God will not forgive me.”
Since 4 August came out
openly to disrupt Atiku’s campaign, campaign activities and footworks have
slowed down a bit.
No comments:
Post a Comment