Group: Obasanjo is Not against Atiku’s Emergence as APC Presidential Candidate

Group: Obasanjo is Not against Atiku’s Emergence as APC Presidential Candidate

15 Oct 2014

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

Daji Sani in Yola

The Chairman of the  Northern Youths Leaders Forum (NYLF), Eliot Afiyo, has  reacted  to a media report that
former President Olusegun Obasanjo has told Senator Bola Tinubu not to support the candidature  and the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential standard-bearer for the 2015 election.

Afiyo  said in a statement signed by him that the media report had also received total condemnation from the northern youths.

The chairman said the NYLF was not oblivious of the machination of those who are never comfortable with the renewed relationship between Obasanjo and his former deputy and would not succeed in their bid.

Afiyo said  the former Nigerian leader had not thwarted the emergence of his former deputy as the presidential candidate of the APC.

He added that the forum had earlier endorsed the former vice-president and Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to be picked as possible consensus candidate from the North.

“The Obasanjo is a nationalist par excellence, who would not like to use another personality to run down a personality of note talk less of his former deputy, Atiku,” he stated.

Afiyo disclosed that the two former Nigerian leaders had forgiven themselves on the possible noticeable differences in the past and at the instance of the forum that visited and pleaded with the two leaders, the alleged differences between Obasanjo and Atiku had been rested.

“I want to put the record straight that the meeting between Obasanjo and Tinubu was as a result of the forum’s briefings on the acceptable candidate for 2015 by the North, and it was at the instance of the former president,” he said

While lauding  the media for being reliable partners in the promotion of democracy and its ideals, Afiyo appealed to media professionals to continue to make democracy firmly established.

“Obasanjo does not and will never tell Tinubu to oppose Atiku’s candidacy. Instead, the two leaders discussed on the possibility of having Atiku or Kwankwaso as the presidential candidate of the APC,” Afiyo said.

I want to clearly state that I was in Abeokuta when the meeting was held and none of the two leaders briefed the press. It was a private meeting aimed at getting a credible leadership for the country come 2015,” he said,

While frowning on the position of the news reports, Afiyo made bold to state that it was the handiwork of Atiku’s enemies who have seen the renewed relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku, and want to thwart the wonderful development in the political landscape of the country.