Atiku’s Men Speak On Why Ex-VP Is Not Working With Tinubu

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Nigeria’s last general elections, is not expected to declare support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration due to two reasons known to party men close to him.  

President Tinubu and the former vice president are known to be political allies since 1999, with both men having admitted their friendship publicly on several occasions.

Tinubu even offered Abubakar the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, the party he formed, to run for president in 2007.

But the 2023 presidential election may have put a wedge between their friendship, following the declaration of Tinubu as the duly elected president after the February 25 election.

The PDP presidential candidate and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, who came second and third respectively in the election rejected the outcome and went to court.

The electoral litigation ended on September 6 at the Supreme Court, after the court, in a unanimous judgment, affirmed Tinubu as the rightful winner of the presidential election.

But weeks after, neither the PDP nor the LP presidential candidates have congratulated the president.

Some of the chieftains of the PDP and staunch supporters of Atiku have told THE WHISTLER why the Turakin Adamawa may not work with the Tinubu administration.

Ahmed Waziri, Secretary of the PDP in Yobe State, said the intention of the Tinubu administration is not yet clear and Atiku, like other partymen and women are still watching.

 “His (Atiku’s) support for Tinubu is not going to be possible. His mindset is to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria and as things are now, we don’t know the exact intention of this government,” he said, adding that he’s with Atiku on ensuring survival of democracy.

Supporting Waziri’s position, Leader Leneke, a lawyer and chieftain of the party in Adamawa State, said Atiku and many chieftains of the PDP have “little, little suspicions, reservations and fears that the APC wants to make Nigeria a one-party state.”

He said this has pushed the PDP presidential candidate to call recently for major opposition parties to come together so they can face the ruling party in the next round of elections.

However, Leneke who’s a loyalist of Atiku believes that after the Supreme Court judgment, everyone should work with the Tinubu administration in the interest of the country.

He said, “My thinking is that as bad as it may be, unacceptable as it may be to the candidates,

we all know that the ruling of the Supreme Court is the final ruling, the final judgment. You can’t take it beyond that.

“Should that be the case, then the only solution is for us to put our hands together and support the government of the day in whatever way.

“However, I may not blame the PDP presidential candidate in entirety for his inability to join hands to work with the government of the day. I expect that the government of the day will make efforts to invite him over and say, OK, let’s join hands.

“I think the cycle of presidential election is over until the next cycle, we can, for the next few years, work together. So, I expect them to extend an invitation to him, to extend the hand of invitation.”

He said Atiku is not the one to make the initiative but the Tinubu government, adding that if he moves to support the government on his own, his supporters and the party would see it as a betrayal.

“But if it’s a situation where the ruling government extends the hand of fellowship, extends an invitation, extends a call to him and says, let’s join hands together, we know you have beautiful programs let’s all join our hands together for the good of the nation.

“I think I expect the ruling party to also do that. That is my take on this issue,” Leneke said.

He stated that Tinubu’s statement after the Supreme Court affirmed him president was a general call which was insufficient to persuade someone like Atiku to support the administration.

“There must be some level of official, formal way of doing it. And that’s what I expect. That would also show seriousness, that you are serious in inviting us to come,” he said.

The electoral cases that are still in court involving the PDP was also cited as a reason why Atiku and the PDP may be holding back.

“I also think to some point, petitions are not all finished especially with the governors, most of them have been done at the level of the court of appeal.

“But there are still a few that are still going to the Supreme Court. When all these things are discharged off, all these petitions are finished, then we can all say, OK, every petition is now finished,” Leneke stated.

Speaking on the general feeling within the PDP about Atiku working with the new government, he said, “To be honest with you, I do not think there are opposition in the PDP with regards to working with the new government. From what I know, what everyone wants is the good of this country, a country that progresses, a country that does well.

“So, I think the general consensus is we can work with this government, but on terms, you must be able to reach certain terms, like I said to you, this work will not just be because there’s a general call, ah! come let’s work together, No. There must be a formal invitation. And there must be terms of the relationship if we’re coming to work together, on what terms?”