After months of political horse trading, a former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Monday emerged the consensus presidential aspirant of the Northern Political Leaders’ Forum.
With his emergence, Abubakar is expected to be the only major aspirant from the North that will contest the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential ticket against President Goodluck Jonathan.
The NPLF had set up a 17-member sub- committee led a former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, to pick a consensus aspirant after it became apparent that Jonathan would contest the PDP primaries.
Apart from Abubakar, others that were screened by the committee were a former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; an ex-National Security Adviser, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau; and Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki. The aspirants made their final appearances before the sub-committee in Abuja on Sunday.
The consensus committee Secretary, Mallam Abdulkadir Bello, while announcing the choice of the former vice-president to journalists in Abuja, thanked all Nigerians, including the critics of the consensus process for their views.
A five-paragraph statement on the committee’s decision jointly signed by Bello and Ciroma was titled ‘Northern Political Leaders Forum’s consensus candidate committee: Conclusion of Assignment.
In the statement, the committee made a veiled reference to the issue of zoning in the PDP, and warned that “greatness could not be attained without respect for agreements.”
It reads in part, “We thank all Nigerians, supporters and critics alike for their views over these past several weeks. While we note these views and respect each one of them, we insist that no individual, organisation or society dreaming of success and greatness can achieve these dreams without respect for others and honouring agreements voluntarily entered into.
“This is especially so where these agreements have been transformed into a binding document, a constitution, which governs the conduct of those who subscribe to it.”
It thanked Abubakar, Gusau, Babangida and Saraki for, what it described as their “humility.” The ‘defeated’ aspirants, according to the committee had assured that they would work together to ensure that Abubakar clinched the PDP ticket in the presidential primaries.
The statement added, “We are pleased to announce that we have concluded our assignment of arriving at a consensus aspirant today (Monday) and one out of the four aspirants who submitted themselves to the process has emerged. He is Atiku Abubakar.
“We are glad and proud that we have finally arrived at this outcome after several weeks of hard work and wide consultations. We are proud because of the unusual honour and extraordinary privilege given us by the four gentlemen who placed their political destinies in our hands. We are humbled by the strength of their faith.”
Reacting, Abubakar said he was humbled by his endorsement by the consensus committee.
He added in a statement that the decision by Gusau, Babangida, Saraki to abide by the decision of the committee was a further testimony of their patriotism.
The former vice-president described them as ‘eminently qualified’ for the office of President, saying that “Nigerians would forever remain grateful to them for their contributions to the peace, unity and stability of the country.”
He also commended the members of the consensus committee for their patriotism and Nigerians for their patience, understanding, support and prayers.
His statement reads in part, “A short while ago, the consensus committee of the NPLF announced me as the consensus aspirant from amongst the four who submitted themselves to this process to endorse an aspirant to contest the forthcoming primary elections of the PDP.
“This came after what were obviously wide-ranging and painstaking consultations across the length and breath of this country. I am humbled by this endorsement, and I accept it wholeheartedly, with humility and sense of responsibility.”
Abubakar said this was a time for “sober reflection on the challenges facing our country and the immense opportunities that exist for us to address them.”
He said he hoped that “the conclusion of this consensus process will mark an end to the divisive politics which our opponents have been promoting.”
In separate reactions, Babangida, Gusau and Saraki conceded defeat to Abubakar, saying they would commit themselves to all the elements of the consensus agreement and understanding.
The former military dictator said in a statement by the Director of his campaign organisation, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, that the consensus process would go “down in the annals of this great nation as historic and uniquely interesting.”
Gusau, who spoke through the Director of Media and Publicity of his former campaign office, Mr. Segun Babatope, promised to work with Abubakar.
The statement recalled Gusau’s belief that an electoral contest should not be a do-or-die affair, stressing that he went into the race to serve.
While extending his hand of fellowship to Abubakar and his campaign organisation, Gusau urged his followers to remain calm and undeterred while awaiting further directives.
Also, the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Campaign Organisation said the Kwara State governor had accepted the consensus committee’s decision in the ‘spirit of peace, national unity and sustenance of democracy in our great country.’
It congratulated Abubakar and pledged to abide by the ‘cooperative arrangement of the process that produced him.’
“Our candidate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, also salutes and profoundly thank his campaign team and supporters across the country for their prayers and loyalty,” the ABS Director-General, Dr. Udenta O. Udenta, said in a statement.
However, the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation has said that the President is not rattled by the emergence of Abubakar as the consensus aspirant of the Northern political forum.
The organisation boasted in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Sully Abu, that Jonathan would beat any aspirant picked by the consensus committee.
It said apart from the fact that the ‘gang-up’ against the President would naturally fail, the fact that he (Jonathan) came into the race with ‘credibility’ would always stand him out.
The organisation also argued that the fact that Gusau, Babangida and Saraki had accepted that Abubakar should contest the PDP primaries against Jonathan indicated that they recognised his (President’s) credentials.
It said, “We will beat anyone of them picked by the committee. We have said it before; the gang-up will fail.
“Do not forget that the gang-up is not because of any political philosophy or how to move the country forward.
“Apart from this, you also have to consider the credibility of all those who are running. Are they the kind of people who want to come and serve the people or themselves? What is their background like? These are the things you have to consider.”
The organisation also said that the power to elect the party’s candidate lay solely with the delegates.
“The delegates will have to assess all the aspirants and see what they are bringing to the table,” it added.
An Action Congress of Nigeria presidential aspirant, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, also reacted to the selection of Abubakar as a consensus aspirant.
Ribadu said he hoped that with the emergence of Abubakar, the PDP would “ultimately give consideration to a national imperative as a guide to all its processes.”
“Our campaign organisation received the news with interest. While we understand the matter as purely a PDP affair, we nevertheless wish them luck in their coming primaries,” the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said.
Reacting, a former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said that the selection of Abubakar by the NPLF would make it easier for the opposition to upstage the PDP in 2011.
Musa, who is also the chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, said, “The task has been made easier for us in the opposition to produce the next president for the country in 2011.
“We are happy over this decision of the Ciroma-led committee to make Abubakar their consensus candidate. It would have been more difficult for us in the opposition if Babangida had emerged as their candidate.
“Right now, as things stand, whoever emerges between Abubakar and Jonathan from the PDP primaries, the opposition will have an easy sail in 2011.”
Reacting to the development, the PDP said its principle had always been to provide a level playing field for all aspirants.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said, “As elections approach, politicians are bound to adopt strategies to achieve their objectives.
“The consensus approach is, therefore, an arrangement purely among individual aspirants within the party. The leadership of the party has no input in this, as it is a cardinal policy of the National Working Committee to remain neutral. Our primary concern has been and still is to provide a level playing field for all contestants at all levels.
“It is our commitment and determination to remain neutral and fair to all those who put themselves forward to contest the primaries on the platform of our great party, the PDP.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011234252215
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