President Muhammadu Buhari, has started wooing Southern Leaders, in a bid to strengthen his support base, ahead of the 2019 polls.
The Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO, is in talks with prominent Southern Leaders and groups, including Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Ijaw National Congress, and the Middle Belt Forum.
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is pleading with critics of his choice of running mate, Peter Obi, to take it easy.
Atiku is dangling before the South-West, two main items, that is, restructuring and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, slot.
Buhari’s campaigners on the other hand, are relying on the President’s records to fetch him support.
The BCO, believes that Buhari’s second term will be in the best interest of the country, because he is poised to use the next four years to consolidate on the policies of his administration.
The Director of Communications and Strategic Planning of the BCO, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, in a statement issued in Abuja, noted that the group has been touring the Southern States, “in the past few weeks”.
According to him, the group’s meetings with Southern Leaders, including royal fathers, is to get them to re-examine the scorecard of the Buhari administration in the last three years, and realise that he has performed well, contrary to “the falsehood” being peddled by the opposition.
Ibrahim said: “First, we want to reach out to fellow Leaders in the South, and convince them to rally round Buhari and support him beyond boundaries.
“If the President is allowed another four years to do what is needed to consolidate on what he has started, within a very short time, the situation will change in Nigeria.”
According to Ibrahim, most of the North’s Leaders are leading Buhari’s Campaign for re-election, because his performance, particularly in Agriculture and his economic diversification policy are yielding results for the economy.
The group has visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III. “We reviewed President Buhari’s performance in the last three years. The royal father agreed with us that he has done creditably well”, Ibrahim said.
On why the meetings with the Southern Leaders had been going on secretly, he said: “The agenda of the meetings is not for public consumption. We have been meeting, and it is not for me to announce the dates of the meetings and venue of the meetings for newspapers. It is not proper. When we circulate notice of meetings, it is for those who are involved only, and not to those who are not part of the meetings.”
On the consistent criticism of President Buhari by some opposition Leaders, Ibrahim warned that the “divisive” politics being practised by certain politicians, will not benefit the country.
He added: “Let me state here that some so-called opposition Leaders should desist from attempts to draft Nigeria into unecessary national opposition, and negative narratives on national events by their destructive criticism of President Buhari. Some groups have also appointed themselves as opposition. This is not the right thing to do.
“President Buhari should be praised for fulfilling some of his campaign promises, in sectors like security, war against corruption, and the economy. He has even done much more in global politics. Nigeria is no more treated with disdain in the international community”, Ibrahim said.
Elsewhere, worried by criticisms of the choice of ex-Governor, Peter Obi, as his running mate, Atiku Abubakar has initiated moves to pacify the South-East PDP Governors and Leaders.
To set the tone for reconciliation with PDP Leaders in the South-East, it was also learnt that Atiku is said to have called the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Further talks with the South-East leaders will begin when Atiku returns from vacation, this week.
It was gathered that Atiku limited his consultation on the choice of Obi, to stave off pressure and reduce friction on his decision.
There were indications that the PDP Candidate may disband his personal Campaign Organisation, to pave the way for the take-off of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, with Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as the Director-General.
A source, who spoke in confidence, confirmed Atiku’s reconciliatory moves. He said: “What happened, was that Atiku was not unilateral in picking Obi. There was really consultation, but restricted to some National and PDP Leaders, to avoid the search degenerating to conflict in the South-East.
“Following reactions from Governors and PDP Leaders in the South-East, Atiku has started reaching out to them. In fact, he has put a call to Ekweremadu, whose camp was more embittered.”
Details of Atiku’s discussion with Ekweremadu remain unknown.
“Atiku is returning from vacation this week, and he will embark on more rapprochement talks with the South-East Leaders.”
The South-East Leaders will want other issues addressed. They include: reaching consensus on other posts to concede to the zone, finding a meeting point with the zone on Atiku’s idea of restructuring, the need to spend one term in office, and ceding power to the South-East, in 2023.
A PDP Leader in the South-East said: “We need more discussions with Atiku, on the fate of this zone. Between 1979 and 1983, the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), conceded the Vice Presidential slot to the South-East, with the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme nominated as Deputy to ex-President, Shehu Shagari.
“Within the same power sharing structure, the South-East also produced the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke.
“We want a concrete deal with Atiku, beyond the choice of Peter Obi. We need to know his plans for us. What other things will the South-East get, apart from being Vice President.”
As at Press time, there were indications that the Atiku Campaign Organisation may be disbanded, to give room for the Presidential Campaign Council of the PDP, headed by Saraki.
“The PDP Candidate, is expected back in the country, this week, and one of his plans is to disband the Atiku Campaign Organisation.”
Also on Sunday, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, stated that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, will go to the South-West, should Atiku become President.
Daniel, a former Governor of Ogun State, broke the news at an interactive session with Reporters, in Lagos.
“We need to understand that the Candidate has control over who becomes his running mate during the election, and who becomes the SGF, if he wins.
“The decisions on major offices are being given serious consideration, and no zone or region will be marginalised.
“The Offices of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Reps. will be decided after the polls, and based on what plays out in both Houses.
“Aside major slots, I think what is paramount to the people of the South-West is restructuring of the country, which Atiku is very serious about.
“So the issue for the South-West is not personality or slot issue per se, because personalities come and go, but restructuring Nigeria is significant and more symbolic than zoned offices”, he said.
On Atiku’s manifesto, Daniel said that it would be published as soon as the campaigns kick off.
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