…To Spark Int’l Outrage
By ‘Dotun Akintomide
In clear attempt to rouse waves of opposition against President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has been wooing retired military generals and past Heads of State in the country to garner popular support and also benefit from their political structures in Nigeria and beyond its shores.
Atiku who campaigned for Buhari in 2015 after losing the All Progressives Congress’ presidential ticket to him has been moving round to escalate outrage within the local scene and international arena against the incumbent administration.
The New Diplomat learnt Atiku is already in talks with Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalam Abubakar, General Zamani Lekwot and General Joshua Dongoyaro.
And despite their differences, former President Olusegun Obasanjo “may also drop the dirty past he had endured with Atiku to work with him and unite with others to fight a common enemy perceived to be Buhari this time,” said a source.
Recall Obasanjo had earlier in the year written a letter to Buhari asking him to drop the idea of running for a second time in office, saying his performance so far has been below average.
However, Obasanjo and Atiku met last Wednesday and publicly exchanged pleasantries at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja while attending an event organized by the Gusau Institute on “A New Era for China-Africa Cooperation.”
Only on Sunday, Atiku also visited ex-military Head of State, Babangida, at his Minna hilltop residence in Niger State.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential aspirant was accompanied by some members of his campaign organisation.
He arrived Minna International Airport at about 12.35 pm and drove straight to the residence of Babangida in a convoy of about 15 vehicles. Atiku’s meeting with Babangida was held behind closed-doors for three hours.
According to reports, the former Vice President ignored reporters and his supporters, who had stormed Babangida’s residence.
The meeting may not be unconnected with one of such numerous daily huddles targeted at his 2019 presidential ambition.
Meanwhile, as the months of heated campaigns, ushering in the 2019 polls are almost here, the spate of killings among other knotty issues has been a huge albatross hanging on the Buhari’s presidency, an ugly development political watchers believed will dominate the campaigns as witnessed in 2015 when Nigerians became irked by the Boko Haram’s onslaught against innocent citizens experienced largely in the nation’s North-East.
According to Amnesty International, over 1,813 Nigerians had been lost to violence-related attacks in 2018 between January and June alone, more than twice the entire figure –894– recorded last year.
