Buhari's Loyalist Urges Atiku to Step Down

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
      
Following the view expressed by Ex- Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, that he and co-contestant for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former Head State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), shared a similar belief on the need for regime change, a  loyalist of Buhari’s has canvassed for a consensus deal between the two leading aspirants.
While reacting to Atiku's expression of comradeship with Buhari, a chieftain of APC and a close associate of the former Head of State, Mr Osita Okechukwu, urged Atiku to consider yielding grounds for the emergence of Buhari as APC presidential candidate.

In a statement issued yesterday, Okechukwu said both politicians believed there was an urgent need for  efforts to be made to actualise the common objective of ensuring  regime change, by  voting out the inept and corrupt President Goodluck Jonathan' s regime in the  14 February, 2015 presidential election.

He said Atiku had shown that he truly shared the same interest as Buhari  in seeing that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was shown the way out office next February, adding that he should go a step further by accepting to support the candidature of the former Head state under a consensus agreement  to make that dream realisable.

“I am making this passionate appeal on many grounds, one the bitterness, rancour and ill temper which a gruesome monetised primary will most likely generate ; will definitely scuttle the earnest yearning for regime change", he said.

Okechukwu further said Alhaji Atiku deserved commendation  for his frankness on the commonality of objective between him and  Buhari.

“Secondly, is it not better to harvest the celestial bond between Buhari and Nigerian masses and the middle class, a bond which made it possible for him to garner over 12 million votes in 2011 presidential election?

“Thirdly, Buhari no doubt is better equipped more than any of our eminent presidential aspirants to prosecute the 1st Cardinal Program of APC - war against corruption and national re-orientation,  given his antecedents in public service.

“Accordingly, let’s all join hands through consensual arrangement as stipulated in Article 20 of APC Constitution and Section 87(6) of the Electoral Act, as amended and give unalloyed support to Buhari; instead of flexing financial muscle via indirect primary. More so when PDP that boasted to rule Nigeria for 60 years uninterrupted, is resorting to its old game plan of Do-or-Die tactics”, he contended.

Meanwhile THISDAY has gathered that contrary to its earlier decision to employ modified direct primaries in the selection its candidates for the 2015 general elections,  leaders of APC have now  adopted the delegate system which will have only about 15,000 delegates to elect the presidential candidate.

It was learnt that due to the complexities associated with the direct primaries coupled with the clamour by a an influential segment of the party for the jettisoning of the direct primaries.

Culled from: http://www.thisdaylive.com