2015: Yar’Adua’s men move to take over CPC

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2015: Yar’Adua’s men move to take over CPC

Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja Sunday, 19 February 2012

Loyalists of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua have kickstarted a bid to take over the structure of the Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) ahead of the 2015 general election. The plan, according to sources, was to move the remnant of the late President’s structure fully into the CPC while work would start in earnest on how to install a preferred

presidential hopeful as successor to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Sources in Abuja confirmed that loyalists of the late President including former Minister of Agriculture, Sayyadi Abba Ruma, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Adamu Aliero and former National Security Adviser (NSA) General Sarki Abdullahi Mukhtar have perfected plans to take over the structure of the CPC well ahead of 2015, such that they could strongly contest the next presidential election.

It was learnt that the group have met at least on two occasions with leaders of the CPC including former Head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari.

Sources also confirmed that the loyalists of the late President Yar’Adua have already endorsed the former National Security Adviser (NSA) as the Presidential candidate of the CPC come 2015.

At least two meetings were held recently. One was held in December 2011 and the second held on February 14, 2012, it was learnt.

At one of the meetings, said to have held between the group and General Buhari in December 2011, it was learnt that the 2015 agenda was opened up and that the team of Yar’Adua’s loyalists expressed their desire to dissolve their political structure into the CPC to enable the party win the 2015 presidential election.

At another meeting, it was learnt that the group told Buhari that since he would not be contesting the general election again, it would be better to yield ground to a fresh candidate, who would be well funded to win the presidency come 2015.

Said a source close to the meeting: “Some loyalists of the former President actually held a meeting with General Buhari in December 2011. During the meeting, the leader of the team told Buhari of his desire to join the CPC and to also secure Buhari’s support as he plans to run for the CPC Presidency in 2015 should Buhari not be running for the 2015 presidential election.

“Buhari was non-committal in his response as he did not categorically disclose whether he was going to run for election or not in 2015. He however told the visitors that he will not be quitting active politics and that he would be ready to assist in any effort that would bring about sincere leadership for Nigerians.”

At another meeting said to have held on February 14, 2012, which involved the same group and leaders of the CPC including Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, it was learnt that the same topic came up for discussion.

It was gathered that at the December meeting, one of the former Ministers was said to have told CPC leaders that the Yar’Adua group has been meeting in recent times to x-ray the state of the nation and that the former Ministers have resolved to take concrete steps.

“One of the meetings was told that the former Ministers and other political associates of late President Yar’Adua have decided to bring in their structures and fund as partners in the CPC Project. They also requested for the support of General Muhammadu Buhari and the Party on the development.

They also told the meeting of their resolve to put forward General Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar for Presidency in 2015 on the platform of the CPC, if Buhari would not be contesting for the position in the forthcoming presidential election.”

The party was however said to have put them in suspense, asking them to feel free to join the party and contribute to its success like el-Rufai and others have been doing.

It was also learnt that some of the party leaders believe it was too early to talk about 2015.

Another source had stated that one of the speakers at the meeting with CPC leaders said that the Yar’Adua group is now determined to salvage the country and that they have now realised their mistakes “for not providing the needed leadership as at that point in time, which regrettably brought about the emergence of the present government in the country.”

It was however noted that while El-Rufai was said to have participated fully in ay least one of the meetings, he was said to have refrained from making comments on the development.

Sources however stated that the move by the loyalists of Yar’Adua was a huge jolt for El-Rufai and others in the CPC, especially as such persons were already eyeing the party’s structure to contest the 2015 presidential election.

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