2015: ATIKU YET TO DECIDE
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has not yet decided to join the presidential race in 2015, his spokesman Garba Shehu told LEADERSHIP yesterday.
Rather, the former vice-president believes that what the country needs at the moment is purposeful governance and not electioneering campaign for elective positions.
His spokesman said 2015 is too far away for politicians to contemplate on who becomes the presidential or vice -presidential candidate of any political party adding that what Nigerians want is leadership that will deliver the dividends of democracy and tackle the insecurity challenges in the country.
He added that there was the need for the stakeholders to allow the elected public officials concentrate on their parties' programmes rather than being distracted from implementing them.
When asked whether the former vice-president was not concerned about the ongoing political horse trading ahead of 2015, Shehu replied that he was not bothered.
He said, 'I can tell you authoritatively that Atiku is not bothered over any endorsement. He remains focused in his political career. If he intends to run in 2015, he will make appropriate declaration at the right time'.
Endorsement, internal affair of PDP - ACN
Reacting to the endorsement for the 2015 presidential race, the national publicity secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), Alhaji Lai Muhammed said the party does not like commenting on the internal affairs of the PDP unless such a decision affects the country.
He said: 'We don't like commenting on the internal affairs of the PDP. How the party chooses its next presidential candidate is its own internal business. The ACN will only react to any decision of the party if it has direct bearing on national issues.'
Lamido not a threat to CPC
- Fashakin
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has said that the endorsement of Lamido/Ameachi ticket for 2015 is not a threat to the party.
Speaking on telephone with LEADERSHIP, the national publicity secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin said the choice of Lamido by Obasanjo cannot affect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari because he enjoys the support of the people at the grassroots.
Fashakin said: 'The choice by Gen. Obasanjo of Lamido as the 2015 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot be a threat to our party, because Gen Buhari enjoys the support of the grassroots people as a result of his integrity and political achievements while in government. The people will never allow any other person to take their leader from their heart.'
Fashakin also said that Nigerians are now wise not to allow Obasanjo to push them down the precipice as he did by imposing a sickly president, late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua on them, thereby throwing the nation into the problem it is grappling with.
Jigawa LG chairmen back Lamido for 2015 presidency
Twenty-seven local government chairmen from Jigawa State yesterday threw their weight behind former President Olusegun Obasanjo's endorsement of Governor Sule Lamido for the 2015 presidential race.
According to the council chairmen, the endorsement of Lamido and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, is appropriate and timely.
The state chairman of the Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON), Alhaji Sale Taki stated this during an interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday.
He said: 'We are ready to support Lamido as the president of this country. The power must come back to the north and to Jigawa State.'
Taki claimed that Lamido is the most credible candidate to be the president by 2015. Because he has delivered dividends of democracy to the people of Jigawa State.
Obasanjo has locus to speak for Nigeria - Rep
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tijjani Ibrahim Kiyawa, has said that Obasanjo has the locus standi to speak for Nigeria in respect of who he thinks is good for the Presidency come 2015.
Kiyawa, who represents Dutse/Kiyawa Federal Constituency of Jigawa State on the platform of the PDP, made this comment in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday.
Reacting to LEADERSHIP's cover story of yesterday in which Kure was quoted to have countered Obasanjo's endorsement of Lamido and Amaechi for 2015.
The Jigawa lawmaker described former President Obasanjo as an elder statesman, who is capable of speaking for Nigeria, and not only for the North 'because Nigeria is his constituency.'