Andy Ekugo and Damilola Oyedele
10 April 2007
Abuja — On a day the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reiterated its stand that Vice President Atiku Abubakar would not be on the ballot for the April 21 Presidential elections, there were indications he could be looking in the direction of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) as a fall-back option.
Although Atiku is still in the race and hopes to secure a reprieve at the Supreme Court, he is said to be working in concert with Buhari for the parley of all opposition parties initially slated for Wednesday but now shifted to Thursday in Abuja.
But the Presidency, in statement by the Political Adviser to the President, Bashorun Akin Osuntokun, wondered why Buhari who commended the preparation of INEC at the Council of State meeting last week could be singing a different tune.
A statement by Chukwudi Enekwechi, Special Assistant to the Chairman on Media and Publicity of ANPP states disclosed that the postponement was due to "unforeseen development" but Mallam Shehu Garba of the Atiku Campaign office told THISDAY on phone that Atiku has shown interest in the meeting and was considering how it would fit into his campaign schedule.
"It is a desirable meeting. The Vice President has a backlog of campaigns but he is looking forward to the meeting," he said.
Sule Hamma, the Director General of the ANPP Presi-dential Campaign Committee also confirmed that Atiku would be at the meeting.
He further stressed that "almost all opposition parties" will be coming but said the reason for the shift is that most of the parties would be finalising their campaigns on Wednesday and therefore asked for a 24 hour shift for the meeting.
He further said agenda of the meeting will include establishing "a closer relationship with the opposition parties and to examine the entire electoral process to ensure improvement". On why the meeting is coming at a time that the election is on hand, Hamma said "this is the right time for this meeting".
Buhari, in his letter inviting the Presidential candidates of all opposition parties for the crucial meeting had stated that the emergency meeting was "predicated on the truism that nobody has all the solutions or monopoly of ideas and that two heads are better than one".
"In my considered opinion" he continued, "the prevailing national consensus is that election must hold as stipulated and that the opposition must form a granite alliance to defeat the sinister intentions of a few to subvert our democracy".
Meanwhile, a statement by Osuntokun yesterday reads:
"Our attention has been drawn to the statement by the Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), General Muhammadu Buhari in which he cast aspersions on the on-going electoral process and the integrity of the President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
"General Buhari is said to have summoned a meeting of all opposition parties on the question of the elections. What is at issue is General Buhari's integrity as a statesman. He should be more interested in the stability of the nation rather than holding himself out as an agent for disunity.
"It will be recalled that General Buhari attended the last Council of State meeting held in Abuja on April 4, he also went, along with other members of the Council, on a tour of INEC facilities and had the privilege of a first-hand assessment of INEC's preparedness. "At the end of the exercise General Buhari had announced that he was impressed with INEC's preparations and he had shown much enthusiasm about the electoral process. This was duly reported by the media, and since then the ANPP candidate at no time indicated that he was misquoted. So what has now happened to him?
"In less than a week, he is singing a different tune and parading himself as the arrowhead of an opposition to the collective wishes of the Nigerian people that the elections should remain on course and be peaceful, free and fair. If General Buhari had any misgivings whatsoever, he had every opportunity to speak his mind at the Council of State meeting.
"If he wanted to offer any advice, he had and still has every opportunity to do so. The duplicity that he is now putting on display is unbecoming of a man who when it is convenient to do so parades himself as a statesman. If he is becoming jittery about his chances in the elections, that should not rob him of the civility that the occasion demands.
"Curiously, it was reported that his letter to the leaders of opposition political parties was dated and signed April 4, the same day that he commended INEC. Was his letter written before his tour of INEC facilities or after?
"The fascism that he alleges exists is most unfair. President Obasanjo has made it clear at every turn that the Federal Government is committed to the democratic process and that the elections will be held as scheduled.
"We expect that General Buhari will not do anything that will subvert this. He talks about fascism. Considering his antecedents, this is really amusing. Dialogue is useful, and the President has always encouraged frank and honest discussion of national issues, but no one no matter how highly placed should seek to resort to self-help to cover up their own inadequacies."
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