The relationship between Buhari and Babangida has not been cordial since the latter overthrew the regime of the former in a bloodless military coup in 1983.
To achieve reconciliation with Babangida and other northern leaders in his camp, like former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Mohammed Aliyu Gusau, Saturday Sun gathered that Buhari has set up an eight-man high-powered committee “that will not only work on smoothening the relationship between him (Buhari) and a section of the northern elite but also seek their support for his nomination as APC presidential candidate and at the election proper.”
Speaking at a public lecture in Minna, Niger State on Wednesday last week, Gen. Buhari had expressed his preparedness to contest the 2015 election and also his willingness to step down for a better candidate that may emerge from APC. Many believed that the former Head of State was referring to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who is being backed for the top job by a group of northern leaders led by Gen. Babangida.
Buhari had declared: “Whoever thinks he has got a chance, let him come out because the more we are, the merrier it becomes. I will be ready to step down if there is a formidable and better candidate. It is not about me but for the survival of the party. APC is about ensuring internal democracy, whoever emerges is the person I will support. Yes, I will be ready to step down,” Buhari had declared in a veiled reference to the ambition of Tambuwal to contest the next presidential election on the platform of APC.
Investigations, however, revealed that Buhari’s public declaration notwithstanding, he has, of late, intensified efforts to reach out to a number of northern leaders, who have, in the past, refused to support his presidential ambition due to some personal and ideological differences.
To make this possible, an eight-member committee had been set up to drive the process. A member of the committee, who would not want to be named because of the strategic nature of their assignment, revealed: “As a result of the work already done so far in this regard, a comfortable number of ACF (Arewa Consultative Forum) leaders are now ready to back Buhari while the next critical stage is to get the IBB camp to work on the same page with us to see Buhari through the next contest.”
When asked the details of how to get Babangida to support a Buhari presidential campaign, the source said: “The contact committee is working hard on bringing the two former heads of state together so that some impressions can be cleared and settled. This won’t be difficult. Remember former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu, had brought the two of them together before. What we need now is to build on such past efforts by first taking Buhari’s message to IBB, Gusau and others.”
Asked about the type of message Buhari is sending the contact team to these northern leaders, the source said: “The message is simple and not only for IBB but for some other Nigerians that have a mindset about Gen. Buhari’s candidacy.
Nigerians need to know that Buhari has come of age. Time has changed and as such cannot be the dictatorial leader some people perceive him to be. He wants the people to know that in this democratic dispensation, he can’t do some of the things he did under the military decree, which some still count against him. He said the wishes of the majority of CPC members that have been allowed to prevail in the party’s primary elections in Kano and Katsina recently should prove to the people that he is a totally changed person when it comes to allowing the wishes of the majority. He also wants the people to know that he is not going to chase anybody out of Nigeria as has been speculated in the past.
“Another message he has mandated us to take round, especially to those we will be reaching out to in the South of the country, is that he is not the religious bigot some people believe he is. He said his choice of a radical Pentecostal pastor (Tunde Bakare) as his running mate in the 2011 presidential election should be enough to convince those that still doubt his stand on religious tolerance.”
The contact committee member argued that the interest of Tambuwal in the APC presidential ticket is not much of a threat to Buhari because the former Head of State “believes he has all it takes to get the new party victory in the next election,” adding: “This is without prejudice to his public promise that he is ready to make the needed sacrifice if there is any better candidate in the party fold.”
It was further gathered that after the last convention of the CPC in Abuja today, activities of the contact committee will be intensified and become a little visible, while Buhari’s message of reconciliation and new improved personality will be amplified at the convention.
“Starting from the CPC’s last convention in Abuja on Saturday (today), we will start amplifying publicly some of these messages we have been taking round to our leaders and our people on the need to drop some of the old negative impressions about Buhari so that the latest effort to close ranks and chase out the PDP in 2015 will achieve the desired impact,” the source added.
When Saturday Sun contacted one of the national officers of the ACF to confirm the claim of the committee, the forum’s National Vice Chairman, Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku, said he has only been briefed about the Buhari’s moves but yet to be personally contacted.
According to him, “I have been in the US for some weeks now; nobody has contacted me personally, but I can’t deny that I am aware that some of our leaders are working hard to close ranks, bury their individual differences and collectively bring an end to the PDP misrule in Nigeria. I must add that I personally appreciate Buhari’s humility in the latest effort and I say it’s a welcome development.”
He added: “Whatever we can do in form of personal and collective sacrifice is what we are ready to do as northern leaders with the support of other compatriots across the country to end the current impunity, insecurity and senseless looting of our commonwealth going on in our nation.”
(SUN)
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Buhari still has hidden agenda. He just want to use all tricks and fake humility to get what he wants, he wants power by all means. Tell him, He will not get there, period
ReplyDeleteGuy u dnt knw what dis is all abt so dnt involve urself. Abi GEJ de pay u for dis job u doing.
DeleteHe who live by the sward die by the sward. Babangida and Buhari the only pooly educated Leaders of the North who believe without living at the presidency nothing good can reach them. Let me advise U power drunkard are u the only person the Northerners have b/cos u are poorly educated and cannot stand the test of the brilliant youger generation. GEJ is the First Educated President of Nigeria the whole world recognosed. Buhari must not see Presidency as his birth right for me and my people we willnot vote for APC bunch of thieves.
ReplyDeleteeven d most poorly educated nigerian president (abacha) gave us better things compared to this useless highly educated GEJ of urs
DeleteLet the innocent Blood of Nigeria Corpers hunt and destroy perpetrator of the crime after coming back to play good. God will destroy all of them even as they seek high place in this country. Remember, the Innocent blood of Ken Sarowiwa Killed by Sani Abacha, we prayed and he died at the throne. The Presidency is now a cause to the Northerners b/cos of causes placed by innocent ones they have kill. Buhari take note.
ReplyDeleteU idiots shuld kip ur rottin mout shot,who is jonatan by d way?D worse president so far,he who dosen no y he is dere. an opurtunist who can not run d activities of a local govt,wht a drunk we hv 4 a president!
ReplyDeletewe need BUHARI/FASHOLA combination PERIOD
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 4.24am: Who then will be President? Buhari? War, because of the echo of the past which he is tryning to erase now. Fashola? Buhari will make the government ungovernable again!
ReplyDeleteDoubting Thomases will ever remain doubting bcos once beaten twice shy. Wat comes out of the mouth may not b wat d mind is habouring. Political mathematicians, pls, b gud political calculators. We need a God guided Daniel 2 interpret the mind sets of d aspirants. The time Jimmy Cliff referred 2 in one of his songs, TIME WILL TELL, is now. The political atmosphere of DO OR DIE should b done away with.
ReplyDeleteWhat has happened to our vibrant and young politicians? Like Fela said,"the same old politicians wey rule Nigeria before." I know because Obj did it, Buhari thinks he could also. I am pleading with my fellow Nigerians that these old fashion politicians should not be voted for, they don't have anything to offer. We are towing a dangerous line and setting up all sorts of bad precedents. Will there be peace once a Northerner take over power? The South East or Middle belt should be given a chance to bring the next president since we tow the line of 'where is he from?' Let's make this nation a better place! We don't need controversial personality, we don't Buhari,IBB,Tinubu,El Rufai, Atiku & so many others. Too bad GEJ is not up with it as well. We want a new era of young politicians with peoples' oriented agenda. Too bad we r deep down the ruins in Politics - PH Nedum
ReplyDeletePDP are practicing the politice of end justify the means, there have been in goverment for thirteen years now,nottin to show to graduate, PDP don't hv good plan for our feauture kidz, they ar after thier family and personal poket, let's embrace a new party, is not all about Buhari, Jonathan, started his campaign that when he was going to school he has no school, Nigerian voted for HIM and the first jog he paid us back was FUEL SUBSIDY, he has been in the power wit his former head of state wit thier 7point agender, Jonathan can't achieve one point agenda, enough of this, let's face the fact and tell our self the truth. GOD bless NIGERIA
ReplyDeleteIf BUHARI has hurried their differences, what abou IBB? You can be sure the later is nursing his! BUHARI will never rule Nigeria, not with IBB still alive! Say I said so!
ReplyDeleteBurahi has not shown any form of leadership at all in the face of the current insecurity in the North. One would have expected him to move in and take a firm position against what is going on in his environment and actually attempt to nip it in the bud, if the over ridding interest is Nigeria, and not selfish interest!
ReplyDeleteThere is no iota of truth in this story & it is full inaccuracies.The first major error was Babangida overthrew the regime of Buhari in 1983 instead of 1985.Again,Aminu Tabuwal was never threat to the presidential ambition of General Buhari because the two are not of the same and even if they are of the same party,Buhari is million miles ahead of Tambula in terms popularity & acceptability
ReplyDeleteBuhari is said Abacha was not corrupt.
ReplyDeleteAbacha has been found by international agencies to be monumentally and crudely corrupt.
Therefore, Muhammadu Buhari is extremely corrupt.
BuharI, there is know room for you in Aso rock. You can not deceive us with your sudden humility all in the bid to gain access to the presidential villa.
ReplyDeleteA president that was given the mantle of leadership, you threaten to make the country ungovernable for him with the introduction of the bloody Islamic sect, boko haram. Since the revolution from the sect, what has been your positive contribution put an end to it?
If APC wants to make an head way in the next presidential election, sorry to say, you are not the right candidate unless APC wants to loose woefully.
This is a statement of fact for all APC members as well.
Nigerians, please reject this beast called Buhari with your votes. He is a disappointment to democracy - a butcher.
ReplyDeleteNigerians, please reject this beast called Buhari with your votes. He is a disappointment to democracy - a butcher.
ReplyDeleteTwo of them are unfit for our democracy today. Northerns should bring people with clean record and not retired military men and non democrats.
ReplyDeleteWe need change and positive change for this country. God will save us whether the so-called elders want it or not
ReplyDeleteBuhari we don't want you again at all, we have had enough of your pains therefore, give peace a chance, Nigerians' needs fresh breath, ok, as for me and my family i will not vote for their party, take note
ReplyDelete