Tinubu, Obi split G-5

Atiku, Tinubu and Obi.

*Integrity Group moves to London, *Atiku sure of victory despite G-5 threat

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his campaign have expressed optimism about his prospects on the 2023 elections, despite threats by five aggrieved governors of the party to undermine him.

Spokesperson of the Atiku-Okowa Campaign Organisation, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan said that the facts on ground support the campaign organisation’s confidence of a sweeping victory for Atiku at first ballot.

G-5 Governors move to London

He spoke as the Governor Nyesom Wike-led G-5 Governors relocated to London to perfect their endorsement plan for a yet to be named presidential candidate.

Feelers from the G-5 camp indicated that members are torn between declaring support for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and that of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.

A reliable source within the G-5 Governors camp, said: “The governors are considering giving their support to either of the two.

“One of the governors is making a case for Obi but others argue that he lacks the support base to cover the 36 states and Abuja.

“Those in this camp argue that should he emerge victorious, we will be returning to square one because he will not enjoy the majority in the National Assembly and thus will find it difficult to pass legislation required for him to make the reforms he has been conversing.

“On the other hand, those among them making a case for Asiwaju are of the view that the party being the ruling party has the requisite spread.

“They also allude to the fact that the candidate so far appears to recognise the disaster the APC represents at the centre and had concentrated on using successes recorded in Lagos as example of what he intends to do when he gets into office, would endear him to Nigerians.”

The source added, “Politics is all about negotiations, they are still taking. One thing they agree on is their determination to ensure that the next President emerges from Southern Nigeria.”

However, the Atiku-Okowa campaign is confident that no conspiracy will be strong enough to deny its candidate, who was destined for victory.

The campaign said with Atiku's overwhelming support by Nigerians across the board, the outcome of the presidential election, in which Atiku will emerge victorious on February 25, 2023, “will shock pollsters.“

Ologbondiyan said: “Atiku enjoys the solidarity and support of greater majority of Nigerians, who are not captured in the indices relied upon by many of the pollsters in their projections on the 2023 presidential election.

“It is incontrovertible that Atiku will win the majority of lawful votes across the country and garner the constitutionally required 25 percent of votes in more than 24 states of the federation.

“It is evident that the massive traditional voters of the PDP across the polling units, wards, local governments, states and the six geo-political zones are not distracted in their steadfastness to rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the APC by voting enmasse for Atiku.”

He noted that this army of traditional voters are unrelenting in mobilizing the non-partisan voters as well as the undecided across the country to vote for the PDP presidential candidate.

He said: “It is clear that the candidate of the rival APC, Asiwaju Tinubu, lacks the political muscle and national acceptability to stop Atiku at the first ballot.

“Our campaign is, therefore, unfazed knowing that majority of Nigerians across the nation are in consensus to elect Atiku as the next President of our country, particularly, given his proven capacity, competence, political will and national acceptability to provide leadership at this critical time of our national history.”

The campaign urged Nigerians to remain united and focused in rallying with Atiku in the collective mission to rescue and rebuild our nation from the misrule of the APC.

Power belongs to God — Shaibu

Also reacting, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant, Public Communications to Atiku dismissed the threat by PDP members vowing to work against the party, saying power belongs to God.

He said: “Even those who boasted to have made Buhari in 2015 are struggling in this campaign for the coveted seat of Presidency in 2023.

“Power belongs to the landlord of the universe and no man can usurp the powers of the Almighty. It amounts to heresy to sound as if the power of life and death is in our hands.

“Don't be deceived, if a mere mortal has powers to make or stop another man from being president, he would first make himself.

“The fact is that a snake that you can see does not bite. Atiku is an elephant and the elephant does not limp when walking on thorns. So, whether the cock crows or not, the sun must rise. Take it to the bank, Atiku will be president in 2023.”

Culled from Vanguard