Flashback: How Atiku Supported Muslim-Muslim Ticket When He Wanted to Be Abiola’s Running Mate in 1993
- An important detail of how Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential standard-bearer supported the Muslim-Muslim ticket
- A recent report has it that Atiku backed the same faith ticket in the 1993 election when he was opting to be Abiola's running mate
- Meanwhile, the ruling APC and presidential flagbearer Bola Tinubu has been receiving knocks from Nigerians for choosing Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the party
On Friday, July 29, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticised the decision of Bola Tinubu, presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to choose a Muslim as his running mate.
Atiku disclosed that his fundamental disagreement with Tinubu since 2007 was the idea of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, Daily Trust reports.
Source: Twitter
Atiku had said:
“Tinubu wanted to be my running mate when I was given the ACN presidential ticket in 2007, but I disagreed. And because of that, he switched his support to the late Umar Yar’Adua. That was the parting point.”
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Tinubu responded
Responding to Atiku’s comment, Tinubu described the PDP candidate as a “pathological liar”, saying he offered him the vice-presidential ticket.
However, the account of Bisi Akande, former APC interim chairman, documented in his autobiography titled: ‘My Participations’ shows how Atiku opposed the nomination of the former Lagos governor as his running mate.
In 2007, Akande, a former Osun governor, was the national chairman of the Action Congress (AC), to which Atiku and Tinubu belonged.
Although recent developments indicate Atiku’s opposition to a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket — but was that always the case?
How Atiku fared in the 1993 SDP presidential Primary
A report by The Cable has it that Atiku’s first shot at the presidency was the 1993 presidential election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Atiku contested the SDP presidential primary which took place in Jos, Plateau state capital.
Atiku's role explained
In the first ballot of the primary, Atiku came third with 2,066 votes, Babagana Kingibe placed second with 3,225 votes while Moshood Abiola won the election with 3,617 votes. Because the margin between Abiola and Kingibe was not up to 400 votes, a second ballot was declared to determine the final winner.
Before the second ballot, Abiola was said to have made an unwritten agreement with Atiku and his camp that the latter should support him in exchange for a vice-presidential slot.
During the second ballot, the three leading candidates were asked to address the delegates, and when it was Atiku’s turn, the former vice-president withdrew from the race and asked his supporters to support Abiola.
Abiola later won the second ballot with 2,683 votes to defeat Kingibe who scored 2,456 votes.
Despite Atiku’s withdrawal in support of Abiola, the late businessman picked the ex-diplomat who came second in the primary as his running mate. The Abiola-Kingibe partnership was a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
The former vice-president, in his autobiography, titled: ‘My Life’, said there was an agreement that he would support Abiola’s candidacy for a vice-presidential candidate slot.
Atiku explained further
He added that Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s group, to which he belonged, was angry that Abiola reneged on the agreement.
Atiku wrote:
“I contested and won the SDP presidential primary in Adamawa State in March 1993. Moshood Abiola, 55 years old, and Babagana Kingibe, 48, had also won in their respective states.”
Atiku affirmed thus:
“Altogether, 27 of us from various states converged in Jos in March 1993 to contest the SDP Presidential ticket at the national convention of the party.
“I campaigned on the need for a strong economy with agriculture as a top priority. I promised Nigerians that their collective interest would count first when far-reaching economic decisions were being taken.
“I said I would run a true federalism if elected president. To stop Kingibe, whom we all believed had betrayed our group, the Yar Adua group resolved to negotiate with Abiola.
“We would support Abiola’s candidacy for the presidency in return for making me his running mate. We met Abiola and his key advisers and agreed to go to the Jos convention to push for an Abiola-Atiku ticket.
“Thereafter, we would harmonize our campaign structures and finances. At the end of the first ballot, Abiola came first with 3,617 votes. Kingibe came a close second with 3,225 votes. I came third with 2,066 votes.
“We met again with Abiola. We agreed that I should step down for Abiola in the final round of voting. I agreed to subordinate my personal ambition for the sake of democracy.
“I was ready for any personal sacrifice that could end military rule in Nigeria. In the two-way race between Abiola and Kingibe, Abiola triumphed with 2,683 votes to Kingibe s 2,456 votes.
“However, Abiola refused to honour the agreement to make me his running mate. He picked Babagana Kingibe. Yar Adua was angry over Abiola s betrayal. I knew it would be difficult to persuade him to support Abiola again.
“I was concerned about our party. Without the support of the Yar Adua group, the SDP could lose the presidential election to the NRC whose Bashir Tofa, then 46, was generally thought to be inexperienced.”
2023: 3 reasons why Peter Obi has an edge over Tinubu, Atiku, other candidates
As Nigerians approach the 2023 elections in a few months, all political parties have elected their presidential candidates ahead of the poll and started unofficial campaigns.
Four of the leading candidates have been more active, and it appears that one of them, Peter Obi, has the edge over the others because of his approach.
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), was a two-time governor of Anambra state.
Wike set to leave PDP for APC? Rivers governor opens up
Meanwhile, Wike had urged members of the public to ignore a viral video suggesting that he has a plan to leave the PDP.
The governor, who described the video as manipulated, said it was part of an interview he granted in June 2021 when his Ebonyi counterpart, Dave Umahi, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said the excerpt of the interview was deliberately manipulated and doctored by unscrupulous persons with evil agenda.
Source: Legit.ng
