It appears the PDP is plotting to choose former military dictator, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida as its consensus presidential candidate. Getting a whiff of that, Vice President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to contest the 2007 presidential elections, his avowed friendship with Babangida notwithstanding.
He also pledged to spill the beans on the activities of the present administration when he eventually declares his presidential ambition, which he said which will send shock waves through the nation and the entire world.
Abubakar explained that instead of stepping down for IBB, he will prefer both of them to present themselves before Nigerians who have the mandate to decide the right candidate.
He said even though there is mutual understanding between himself, Babangida and Major General Muhammadu Buhari because of the dire need for peace, unity and progress, the issue of consensus candidacy for the presidential race was out of the question.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday called on Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his supporters to leave it out of those he criticizes.
Abubakar who spoke in an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna yesterday, further noted that he will make a pronouncement on which party's platform he will contest the 2007 presidential elections, stressing that he has teeming supporters in the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and in other parties in the country.
"God willing, I have the presidential ambition," he said. "I will come out at the appropriate time. Already I have stated that I will come out and we are preparing to come out Insha Allahu, soonest."
He admitted that matters have not improved between himself and President Obasanjo and reiterated that the latter has no power to decide who will succeed him in 2007.
"Our relationship has to do with two or three things: in relation to work, we work together moderately. Any work he gives me, I do in my capacity as the vice president. I've no work unless the one given to me by the President. We've no problem in this aspect. In politics, we differ a lot in carrying out our political activities."
Atiku said he is in support of EFCC's investigation. "I am not ruffled by EFCC's investigation because I've nothing to hide and have not done anything incriminating."
He was he was among the people that established the EFCC and was the one who even sourced for fund and gave it as a loan for its take off after its establishment.
"When I come out to contest the presidential elections, I'll reveal a lot of things," he said. "I've been patient. You know in Islam, patience is of paramount importance. I feel it is only with patience that we'll not say had I know. Have you ever heard someone said had I know I would have not been patience?"
The INEC, according to its information officer, Andy Ezeani
said this tallies with its discovery that "not all politicians seem to want a free and fair election in 2007 in spite of various public pretensions."
"There is mounting evidence that a section of the political class is indeed up in arms against the plan of INEC under its present leadership to close all avenues to crooked victory in elections," the INEC statement said.
"This desperate section of the political class, led by individuals with access to enormous financial resources, seems determined to do anything, including destroying institutions of the state and the unblemished reputation of any other citizen, just to get to power.
"It would have been inconceivable to associate a person of the rank of Vice President of the Federal Republic with such ignoble activity as is presently engaged in by those determined to undermine state institutions in the name of jostling for power. Alas, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has continued to prove himself as not being above board in this wise."
