Ahead Of Presidential Tribunal Judgment: Buhari, Atiku Prepare For Another Election - Buhari Reconciles With ANPP - Atiku Returns Today

By Olusola Sanni - 23.02.2008

To avoid being taken unawares at the presidential election petition tribunal, both Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have been oiling their political machinery in anticipation of a favourable judgment next Tuesday.

Both Buhari and Abubakar of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Action Congress (AC) respectively are contesting the election of President Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While Abubakar is being expected in the country today to consummate contacts established by his foot-soldiers, Buhari, an impeccable source told the Saturday Tribune, is already mending fences with the leadership of the ANPP so as to prepare the party for another presidential election.

Saturday Tribune gathered that some senior members of ANPP met in Bauchi State last Saturday to consider the party’s position in case of a rerun of the 2007 April 21 presidential election.

Those at the meeting, it was gathered, were the party’s presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, five state governors and national officers of the party.

The meeting, which was held at the Government House, Bauchi, was chaired by the National Chairman of the ANPP, Chief Edwin Ezeoke.

Insiders at the meeting told Saturday Tribune that the major issue discussed at the crucial meeting was how to reposition the party.

Sources revealed that the meeting was called at the instance of some of the ANPP state governors and Buhari.

Also, the Action Congress, AC, and its presidential standard bearer, Abubakar Atiku, are making frantic preparation in anticipation of another presidential election.

A highly-placed source in the party said that the return of Abubakar, today, was to come and see for himself the extent of work done so far in reaching out to politicians from other parties, especially those in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was learnt that the AC intends to reap from the likely conflict that might arise from a fallout of the March 8 national congress of the ruling party, PDP.

The source hinted that some forces in the PDP are threatening to pull out of the party if they discover any foul play in the forth- coming convention of the party, and that the AC is already getting signals that those disgruntled elements might come to team up with the AC to battle the PDP in the event of a rerun of the presidential election.

“For some of the opposition members who returned to the PDP, their expectation is that they would hijack the party from Obasanjo.

“They will soon see how wrong they are with that ambition. No doubt, the convention will disappoint a lot of people and they will know that the best way to engage the PDP is through an opposition party,” the source said.

Ibrahim Modibo, Director of Publicity of the All Nigeria Peoples Party ANPP, in an interview with Saturday Tribune on Thursday, said that both the ANPP and its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, are making preparation in anticipation of a favourable judgment from the presidential election petition tribunal that the presidential election that brought President Umar Yar’Adua to power be re-conducted.

“We are preparing for the election. The good news now is that the party has reconciled with the presidential candidate and there is unity in the party.”

Also, Garba Shehu, Media Consultant to the Action Congress presidential standard bearer, Abubakar Atiku, on Thursday, in an interview, said that the party was preparing for another presidential election in anticipation of a favourable judgment at the tribunal.

“We are preparing. We don’t want to be caught unawares if the judgment at the tribunal is favourable,” Shehu said.