Arewa Consultative Forum warns that Obasanjo could change his mind and jettison Atiku

AREWA Consultative Forum (ACF) leaders have warned that former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo might withdraw his endorsement of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar before February's elections.

 

Last month, former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, emerged as the PDP's presidential candidate, picking up the ticket at its Port Harcourt Congress. He immediately proceeded to pick ex-Anambra State governor Obi as his running mate and then went to Abeokuta to meet with his former boss Chief Obasanjo, who endorsed him as his preferred presidential candidate.

 

However, according to the ACF, Chief Obasanjo may change his mind before February's elections as he is an inconsistent man who does not accommodate conviction of possess the vision expected of a statesman of his status. Anthony Sani, the ACF secretary-general, Sani cited some instances of Chief Obasanjo’s inconsistencies where he tore up his PDP membership card and said he was done with partisan politics.

 

According to Mr Sani, Chief  Obasanjo later formed a non-partisan movement called the Coalition for Nigerian Movement (CNM), which coalesced into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a political party. He said despite the former president’s endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as his choice for the 2019 presidential election, Nigerians and Atiku were not rejoicing yet because Chief Obasanjo was unpredictable and might change his mind before the elections.

 

Mr Sani added: “Former President Obasanjo is a factor in national politics having governed the country under both military and democracy. His commitment to one united Nigeria cannot be taken away from him but whether such attributes can translate into electoral value is in doubt. moreso that Obasanjo has been a product beyond himself.

 

“When the late Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in 1976, the military hierarchy at that time asked Obasanjo to take over as head of state, it was not his efforts that got him the position. Also in 1999, the retired generals and northern leaders went and brought him out and made him the president, these are not his personal efforts, so Obasanjo is a product of forces beyond him.”

 

He added that Chief Obasanjo said God would not forgive him if he endorsed his former vice president, only for him to now leave his ADC and endorse Atiku. According to Mr Sani, Nigerians and not even Alhaji Atiku Abubakar himself can bask in the glow of the endorsement by Chief Obasanjo out of the fear that the manifest inconsistency can make him change his mind before the elections.

 

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