Prof Ango Abdullahi has recanted reports which emanated from him that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has endorsed two presidential aspirants from the North, former president of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed as consensus candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking with the African Independent Television (AIT) in a telephone conversation on Sunday, Ango Abdullahi said the endorsement was in his personal capacity and not on behalf of other members of NEF.
According to him, the report was his personal assessment and evaluation of the four Northern aspirants on the platform of the PDP who willingly submitted themselves to former military President Ibrahim Babangida.
Abdulahi said that he signed the report in his personal capacity as the Magaji Rafin Zazzau and not as Chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum, adding however that his report did not foreclose other aspirants of Northern extraction from throwing their hats in the ring to test their popularity.
“Those interested in throwing their hats in the ring are at liberty to do so.”
Abdullahi’s report which excluded former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, Sokoto state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Mohammed Hayatu-deen has generated controversy across the north.
Speaking on the matter, the Deputy Chairman, North Central Zone of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Ambassador Yahaya Kwande dissociated himself from Prof Abdullahi’s report.
He stressed that the decision was the opinion of an individual and not that of NEF, adding that members were never consulted.
Kwande, who spoke with AIT from Jos, said that those pushing for consensus candidate are cowards who are too afraid and lack confidence in themselves.
On his part, the chairman of the Technical Committee for the Actualization of Atiku Abubakar Presidency, Raymond Dokpesi declared that Atiku was never a party to the Northern consensus arrangement thus, not bound in anyway by the recommendations and conclusion of the report.
“It must be stated categorically and equivocally that Waziri Atiku Abubakar MA, GCON Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999-2007 was NEVER a part of this purported consensus arrangement, neither did he at any time nor in any place, subject himself to any purported consensus process.
“Therefore, Waziri Atiku Abubakar is NOT BOUND by any of the recommendations and conclusions of the purported report”.
Dokpesi therefore explained that there was no way Atiku being a nationalist would have been a part of a “gang up” premised on the same regional, zonal and ethno-religious factors that had kept Nigeria sharply divided over the years.
“As an avowed nationalist, Waziri Atiku Abubakar strongly believes that Nigeria has never been as divided as it is today. He strongly believes that any ‘consensus’ arrangement premised on any regional, zonal, ethno-religious, and/or sectional gang-up will further deepen and widen this divide, and worsen the wounds that urgently need to be healed.
“Consequently, Vice-president Atiku Abubakar is anxious to implement plans, policies and programmes that will rescue and rebuild Nigeria. This is his unwavering and resolute pledge and commitment,” he said.
Dokpesi therefore called on the supporters of Atiku across the country to disregard the said report and continue to concentrate on their massive consultations and mobilizations ahead of the PDP Presidential primaries scheduled for Saturday/ Sunday May 28 and 29, 2022.
The report may have suffered a major setback following its rejection by one of the presidential aspirants, Tambuwal who said that he was not part of the failed exercise thus, now ready for the Presidential primaries in May.
