Deep divisions along the broad lines of pro and anti-Buhari elements in the government and in the party are already blowing open with Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, as a prominent member of the Buhari group.
During the week, the Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Alhassan, stunned the nation with a declaration that she would not support her boss and the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, for a fresh mandate in 2019.
She announced a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, as her preferred choice for the party’s ticket.
While the party has adopted a policy of “no comment” on the issue, some opinion moulders in the North are blaming President Buhari for not acting fast to halt the deep divisions threatening the future of the party.
Governor el-Rufai confirmed, on Friday, the existence of a group of governors and ministers called the “Buharists” who, according to him, want the president to re-contest in 2019 or anoint someone else if he cannot seek a re-election.
He also identified Alhassan as an anti-Buhari politician in the government, who is opposed to the politics of the President.
Indeed, it was gathered that there is a fierce underground battle going on in the North among former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor el-Rufai, Governor Aminu Tambuwwal of Sokoto State, former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara State, described as “front-runners for the ticket of the APC.”
Since his return from his medical trip, a source said Buhari’s supporters have constantly called for a reshuffle of his cabinet “in order to allow him consolidate his power and to send saboteurs out of the government.”
Kaduna State coordinator of Atiku Care Foundation, Ibrahim Danfulani, told Saturday Tribune on Friday that “it is only a matter of time for the former Vice President to come out and vie for the highest office in 2019.”
Danfulani said mobilisation and contact across the country for the former number two man had gone far.
“He is in touch with all his political associates in all the six zones. He is waiting for the right time to declare his ambition. At the right time he will do that,” he said.
However, el-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Media, Muyiwa Adekeye, remarked that his boss should be excluded from what he called the rumour of wanting to be president.
According to him, “el-Rufai was given the mandate to rule Kaduna and we are just half way. So, please, stop this distraction.”
For Kwankwaso, who came second in the 2015 primaries, it was learnt that his Kwankwasiyya movement is establishing contacts across the country.
A supporter of the former Kano State governor in Zamfara State, Alhaji Abubakar Maru, said Kwakwanso’s “antecedents as a former lawmaker, governor and minister and now senator give him the edge over his rivals to succeed Buhari in 2019.”
Both Yari and Tambuwwal are said to also be warming up for the highest office in the land.
A competent source said, “While Governor Yari is believed to be reaching out to critical stakeholders across the country using his position as the chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Tambuwwal as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives is using that position to reach out.”
Attempt to speak to Tambuwal’s media aide, Imam Imam, proved abortive as calls to his phone numbers did not go through.
However, Yari’s spokesman, Ibrahim Dosara, denied that his boss is interested in the Presidency come 2019. He said “Governor Yari is loyal to the President and has never indicated that he wants to run.”
Also Read: https://tribuneonlineng.com/2019-presidency-apc-must-field-buhari-%e2%80%95aganaba/
Atiku’s remarks uncharitable —Abdulkadir, North-West APC chair
National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the APC, Inuwa Abdulkadir, however, accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of lack of diplomacy over his statement that the party and the government sidelined him after using his money and contacts to win the 2015 elections.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Abdulkadir said it was wrong for the former vice president to make public his dissatisfaction over his treatment by the Buhari administration.
“People of such status and reckoning, particularly a former vice president of this great nation, have attained the position of a statesman and what we expect of him is nothing less than that.
“By virtue of his former office and his age, he is qualified to be a statesman. But when you reach that status and age, there are certain things you have to come to terms with, one of which is to exhibit a high sense of decorum in your conduct. You have to guard what you say, how you say it and when you say it, because what is expected of you as a statesman is nothing but fact.
“Secondly, majority of the people look up to you to provide leadership in the sense that from what you say, people can learn a lot.
“Of recent, Atiku has made some statements to create an impression of the failure of the party and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government. At that level, good party members, especially of his status, should not be seen to be making public statements even if those criticisms are factual, whereas in this case, some of these statements were misleading and incorrect.
“These statements give an impression as if there is a crack in the house and in the party or that the party is not doing all that which it ought to. As leaders, we shouldn’t be seen as joining issues in the public domain but since he has made a public statement, the public is entitled to get the other side or be told the truth,” Abdulkadir said.
The APC North-West vice chairman also faulted Atiku’s claim that he contributed immensely to Buharis’ emergence as president.
“Yes, Atiku, like many others, made certain contributions in the 2015 elections and in building the party but the bigger picture which he gave is not correct. The North-West zone, which I represent, had eight presidential campaign rallies which Atiku did not attend any.
“Yes, he added value by his personality, but there are so many other members of the party that made financial contributions and added electoral value. North-West is the most populous zone in terms of APC membership and in terms of electoral victory, not only for the president but we have seven state governors, and 20 out of the 21 senators in the zone are from the APC.
“I think we are critical and major stakeholders in this party. So, one of the reasons we are making this statement is in order to calm our members in these states and for them not to be distracted and that APC is well on ground as all efforts are being made to solidify those gains and we shouldn’t be distracted by such unfortunate statements that the party is neglecting a particular person or group of persons.
“Some involve processes and you don’t expect everything to happen at the same time. More importantly, there should be some decorum in what we do.
“People who have attained those high, privileged positions should know that they have attained certain status in the society and they cannot afford to talk anyhow.
“On the issue of consultation by the President, although I am not in the Villa, it is an open secret that whoever visited the President is no longer a secret. Whoever is meeting the President of Nigeria, more than 20 people will know and the information will be shared. As a matter of fact, several times, Atiku Abubakar has visited Mr President and what they discussed, we don’t know, but we know that he has visited. I am sure he was not just there to greet him. There is no way those two leaders will meet without discussing one thing or the other,” he said.
Speaking with Saturday Tribune in a telephone interview, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, refrained from making an official reaction to what Atiku and Alhassan said.
“There is no reaction,” he told Saturday Tribune.
Also Read: https://tribuneonlineng.com/buharis-agenda-tallies-%e2%80%95united-states/
Buhari instigating crisis in ruling party —Junaid Mohammed
But a major political voice in the North and a member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic, Dr Junaid Mohammed, told Saturday Tribune on Friday that he had been vindicated over his remarks that what exists in the ruling party is peace of the grave yard.
Mohammed pointed fingers at President Buhari, accusing him of placing himself above the party that gave him the ticket to contest and win an election.
He further predicted that serious crisis would soon envelope the party and the Presidency as more key figures in the party and Buhari’s cabinet would be more daring and make revelations in next few weeks that would shock Nigerians.
“I wasn’t surprised in the least by the statement credited to the two people. For one, they have merely reinforced what I have said or have been saying in the last two years.
“I said, one, that Buhari is the major source of the crisis within his party. Two, I said Buhari nurses some delusion of invincibility. I have on many occasions through the national media told Buhari that he is the president today because the APC gave him the platform as its candidate.
“In our system, there is no way you can become the president of Nigeria today without a political party, no matter the measure of popularity that you imagine you have. That pales into insignificance because the party must have played a decisive role for you to become the president.
“On the three previous occasions that he tried to be president, he confessed that he lost not because he didn’t have the followers, but he said he lost because he had no party, he had no strong political organisation on ground. I have said it, he has treated the APC very badly, he has been a source of its instability and he imagines that somehow he is above the party and that, in my view, is a great mistake.
“Now that some of the notables in the party are openly expressing their dissatisfaction, I have been proved right that he is the major source of instability in the party and I want to assure you that we haven’t heard the last from some of these people. I want to assure you that the shabby manner he treated the party explains why he is so scared to embark on the so-called cabinet reshuffle.
“Those who are being reshuffled out are going to be very powerful because they know so much about the goings on within government and the party. And those who are likely to come in, they will also be very disappointed, because they would be coming with the intention to make money but the money has already been made and we are barely coming out of recession. So, good luck to him,” he said.
Also Read: https://tribuneonlineng.com/2019-buhari-tell-us-way-go-unable-run-%e2%80%95el-rufai/
APC may witness defections in 2018 —US intelligence group
The United States-based Stratfor (Strategic Forecast), a highly regarded group with a reputation as “the world’s leading geopolitical intelligence platform,” in an analysis of the Nigerian political situation posted on its website, has forecasted an implosion soon in the ruling party, the APC.
“Buhari’s return has done little to expel the notion that his time on the political stage is nearing its end. In fact, this perception will only grow as the country’s political leaders shift their attention to the 2019 presidential election, which is now less than 17 months away.
“Even closer are the party primaries, which kick off in the last six months of 2018. While Buhari’s All Progressives Congress has tried to show unity and support for its ailing leader, the party’s other officials no doubt have considered plans for replacing him on the 2019 ticket.
“Nigeria’s political system is more fluid than most, and it isn’t unusual for politicians to switch parties. Several key figures in the All Progressives Congress, for instance, are former members of the People’s Democratic Party — its principal rival and the party of former President Goodluck Jonathan. These officials could jump ship if they think Buhari’s candidacy is doomed, or if they think the People’s Democratic Party will retake the presidency.
“Such a resurgence is certainly possible, thanks to the country’s sustained financial weakness from low oil prices, unease over Buhari’s health and the People’s Democratic Party’s attractive promise to zone its presidential candidate to the north, which could divide Buhari’s support base there.
“In the months ahead, it will be important to track potential defections (or in many cases, re-defections) to the People’s Democratic Party that would undermine the ruling party’s ability to build a viable coalition in the run-up to 2019.
“Moreover, if Buhari is unable to run for re-election — which seems likely at this point — the succession process would prove critical. [Vice President] Osinbajo has performed decisively as acting president but he is a Christian who hails from Lagos and is not from Buhari’s stronghold in the predominantly Muslim north.
“The possibility of Osinbajo heading the All Progressives Congress’ ticket in 2019 would not sit well with Buhari’s northern power centre, since it almost certainly would mean the redirection of power and patronage southward.
“There are many other players who likely would be interested in making a play for the top spot on the party ticket. Should Buhari’s health fail to improve, their ambitions will become increasingly obvious as jockeying for the position ramps up in the months ahead. But for any candidate seeking to become the ruling party’s standard-bearer, the test will be the same: Unite the party as the People’s Democratic Party prepares to take back the presidency,” Stratfor said.
If Buhari can’t run again, he will anoint a candidate —el-Rufai
Governor Nasir el-Rufai said on Friday that should President Buhari be unable to contest the 2019 presidential election, he will direct his supporters on whom to support.
Speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja, el-Rufai, however, expressed the hope that since the president is recovering well from his ailment he would run again for the office.
He said that is the position of state governors and ministers, including himself, whom he described as “Buharists.”
This is against the backdrop of the revelation made my Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Alhassan, who said that Buhari had promised to run for only one term.
The Kaduna State governor said: “As far as 2019 is concerned, my position is that the president is looking very well. He is recuperating very fast. My hope and prayer is that he will contest in 2019.
“Everything, that our group is doing, and we have a group. We have Buharists among governors, ministers. Our group wants to ensure that President Buhari runs in 2019.
“If he chooses not to run, he will tell us which direction to go.”
El-Rufai, who was asked to comment on the possibility of himself replacing Buhari as the candidate of the APC in 2019, remarked that Buhari’s supporters have no personal political ambitions.
“We are Buharists, we don’t have any personal ambition, we don’t have any personal aspiration and we are waiting for him to decide.
“And, every political effort we are making, every structure we are creating…, and we know many people that have already started campaigning. They want to tag some of us as part of the problem and we are ready for them.
Also Read: https://tribuneonlineng.com/2019-buhari-hasnt-said-hes-not-contesting-abdulkadir/
“But our political ideology is to support whatever President Buhari wants to support. That has not changed.
“And I want to assure you whatever names you hear, Nasir el-Rufai is not an aspirant for the presidency, neither is any of the governors that are known to be Buharists as well as some of the ministers that are known to be for Buhari from time,” the governor said.
On Alhassan’s position that she will not support Buhari if he chooses to re-contest, el-Rufai said he was not surprised at the minister’s view since she was never in Buhari’s camp.
He noted that the president himself was aware of that and still went ahead to appoint her a member of his cabinet, being the persons he is.
“The Minister of Women Affairs, Jummai Alhassan, has been in the students union. In the APC, she was never in the Buhari’s camp. She did not support our candidates during the national convention. She didn’t vote for Buhari during the primaries.
“But out of the largeness of the president’s heart and to encourage women in politics, he felt that even though she was never a supporter of his politics or his beliefs or ideologies, and for what she has tried to do in Taraba, he felt she earned being nominated as a minister.
“Many in Buhari’s camp did not support it but he overruled everybody because that is how he is. He tries to be inclusive, he considers every Nigerian his own son or daughter and he nominated her to be minister.
“Her comments are not surprising. She has never been a supporter. She has never believed in Buhari’s ideology.
“So, I am not surprised and as a Nigerian, as an individual, she has every right to express her views and support whoever she wants.
“But what I am saying is Nigerians should not be surprised or shocked. This has always been her position because from time, she has never supported Buharism or what Buhari stands for.
“Being part of Buhari’s government is a different thing because government sets policies and if you are a minister, you execute the policies. You can execute those policies while pursuing a different brand of politics. And it is okay. There is no problem with that,” el-Rufai stated.
On whether she should be retained in Buhari’s cabinet, el-Rufai said: “It is the president’s prerogative. Look, you can retain a person in the cabinet even if he doesn’t support you, if he adds value to the country, because this is a government, it is not a political grouping that we are fighting for some political progress.
“If Jummai Alhassan is performing as Minister of Women Affairs and adding value to the government and the people of Nigeria, it is the president’s prerogative to retain her in spite of her political views.
“But if she is not adding value in spite of her political views, she can be dispensed with. That is the president’s decision. I don’t think people should get worried about it.
“I have worked closely with the president. I know him and I know how he thinks. He doesn’t take these things personally or to heart.
“What is primary to him is Nigeria’s progress and how well the government is doing and what everyone is contributing. That is what matters ultimately.”
El-Rufai announced that a public hearing on restructuring of the country will begin on September 18.
The hearing is being organised by the committee headed by him and set up by the APC, following increased agitation in the country.
He said 13 of such hearings will be conducted around the country to listen to Nigerians and synthesize their views towards making recommendations to the party.
The governor explained: “What is important for us in the APC is to separate the signal from the noise.
“There is a lot of noise about restructuring. There is a lot of opportunism. There are people that are restructuring their career. That is their meal ticket and we’ll put that as the noise. But the signal is what Nigerians say, what young people, whose country we are supposed to be restructuring, want.”
Alhassan had said during the week that Atiku was her godfather even before she joined politics.
“And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019. Let me tell you today that if Baba said he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that, ‘Baba, I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve your government as a minister but Baba, just like you know, I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather. If Atiku said he is going to contest.
“If, because of what I said, I am sacked, it will not bother me because I believe in Allah that my time has elapsed.
“Baba is not a madman like those calling for my sack. They have been sending it and spreading that if Baba sees this, I will be sacked,” she said.
Barely 24 hours after the minister’s outburst, Atiku told journalists in Yola, Adamawa State, that he had been used and dumped by a government he struggled along with other like minds to install.
“Honestly speaking, I am still a member of the APC; I was part of all the processes, including campaigns, until success was achieved. But sadly, soon after the formation of government, I was sidelined.
“I have no any relationship with the government. I have not been contacted even once to comment on anything and, in turn, I maintained my distance. They used our money and influence to get to where they are but three years down the line, this is where we are,” Atiku said.
These startling revelations have since jolted the presidency as well as members of the party’s National Working Committee who discuss the indictment of the Buhari administration in hushed tones.
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