Leadership (Abuja)
Golu Timothy
3 October 2008
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua says he is unfazed by All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari's legal confrontation over the last general elections.
Reason: "His case is very weak and this he has been repeatedly told by his political party, the ANPP, and his supporters, among many other Nigerians.
"From all indications, the General has a rather weak case in court which, if what we read in the media is correct, may not even enjoy the backing of his own political party. So, in effect, the General is swimming against the tide as far as this case is concerned," said the President through his spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi yesterday.
Yar'Adua was apparently reacting to a statement credited to his major opponent in the last general elections. On the charge by Buhari that the president had not reached out to him, he said: "Why, he has talked to Buhari on many issues."
The President also clarified his silence on the contentious issue of the 2007 presidential elections, saying his not talking with his ANPP colleague on the matter was to avoid being misrepresented.
Yar'Adua said he was waiting for the legal battle instituted against him by Buhari to be over before reaching out to him.
According to the President, reaching out to Buhari now when the case is still in court could be misunderstood by political opponents.
Buhari had, in a response to a question from the Hausa Service of the Voice of America (VOA) on why he turned down the overtures from traditional rulers from the North to stop the legal battle, said his insistence to allow the law run its full course was as a result of the way President Yar'Adua had treated him since he was declared as the President by the electoral body.
Yar'Adua, according to Buhari, had never spoken to him, not even on the telephone personally or through somebody to plead with him to withdraw the suit which is now at the apex court.
"He (Yar'Adua) has never called me; and he has never sent anybody to me to plead so that I withdraw the suit against him," Buhari remarked, noting that such inaction amounted to being ignored and a very clear signal that he had to go the whole way to ensure that justice is done.
Adeniyi, who was responding to questions from State House correspondents, said: "It is true that President Yar'Adua has not reached out to General Muhammadu Buhari, but that is largely out of respect that the General is exploring all the available legal and democratic channels as well as his own abiding belief in the rule of law.
"Since the General is in court challenging the results of the presidential election which he lost, the president is of the opinion that any overtures could be misconstrued, so he would rather want the judicial process completed before reaching out to the ANPP candidate."
However, Adeniyi expressed optimism that his boss does not believe in winner-take-all politics and as such the president will be very willing to invite the former military ruler over to join the government in the task of building an enduring Nigeria
"I am sure the Supreme Court will soon give a final seal on the whole electoral matter and the President is confident he would win, after which he will then reach out to General Buhari to join him in the task of moving Nigeria forward.
"As a former leader reputed for his integrity, General Buhari definitely has a lot to still contribute to our nation and I am sure President Yar'Adua would not hesitate to reach out to him once the case at the Supreme Court is won and lost," he stated.
Meanwhile, security operatives are on the trail of another presidential aspirant who contested the election under the ruling PDP with President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua last year.
LEADERSHIP gathered reliably that the aspirant had gathered his supporters and former campaign coordinators in one of the Northern state capitals to tell them that the presidential election would be annulled by the Supreme Court on October 23, this year, and that he was prepared to contest again.
Said the source: "The man held a series of meetings with his loyalists under the pretext that the Supreme Court will nullify the elections and order fresh polls. He told them of his intention to re-contest the seat and that they should be on alert to start fresh campaigns. A serving minister is heading the committee that was set up.
"But as I am speaking to you now, security operatives have taken over the state capital, moving from one hotel to the other to check the guest lists and identify those who attended the meeting. The guest lists of such hotels have been impounded.
"The airlines who flew in the supporters from across the country to the venue are also being scrutinised as their manifests have also been seized by security operatives."
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The General Muhammad Buhari's legal confrontation over the last general elections against President Musa Yar'Adua should not come down to mere ego or sheer allegation but should be about the truth that Nigerian people are rightfully entitled to know.
By all ramifications, the last election that brought Yar'Adua to power was anything but free and fair and the President knows. I respected his position when he first took office and opined that the last election was flawed. In fact many Nigerians thought that he was going to ask for a new election but for the pressure brought to bear on him by his party stalwarts.
I am disappointed by Buhari’s recent comments suggesting that he is in the case because Yar'Adua did not call him to ask for forgiveness. This whole thing has turned into a charade and the losers are the Nigerian people.
Nigerians it is high time we collapsed this case and count our loses after all these big elephants are in it for themselves because no matter who finally wins it is deja vu all over gain. The revolution and war of insurrection would start and won by the Nigeria people not by the system.
Only a fool would not notice that some thing is wrong with Nigeria. It does not take a rocket scientist to know that if the oil money is use to develop Nigeria, Nigeria would be the China, USA and Japan of Africa and of the world as well.
Is this the reason Yar has put Nigeria's development and growth on hold - until his case is settled? If that is so then this selfish game has disqualified him from being our President or a self-described "servant leader" (another of his many lies). Yar, if you love this country as much as you claim (another one of your many lies) then do us a big favor and save us the agony of your pretense by resigning so a more credible, worthy, honest, smarter, loyal and able Buhari can move the nation forward. We made a mistake in April-May 2007 when we entrusted you with our hopes and aspirations not realizing what a doofus you'll turn out to be. What a fraud you've been.