Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, an unconfirmed report says is leading a pack of top politicians including his former Vice President. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former senate president Ken Nnamani and former Cross River State Governor Mr. Donald Duke, among others, to float a new political party ahead of the 2019 general elections apparently in dissatisfaction with the performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, Frontier News reports
It gathered authoritatively, Frontier News says that the new party formation, which is billed for lunch in November 2016 also has Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and his predecessor Senator Aliyu Wamako as coordinator of Sokoto state while Senator Musa Kwakwaso is to oversee Kano state.
Other coordinators of the yet to be named mega party our correspondent gathered are Senator Adamu Aliero who is to coordinate Kebbi state, MrsAll Progressives Congress who is to coordinate Akwa Ibom, the current secretary to the Edo State government Professor Julius Ihonvbere is to coordinate Edo State while Mr. Jimi Agbaje is to coordinate Lagos state. The name of Ogun born politician Mr. Bode Mustapha also featured in the new political arrangement.
Some governors of the South-South and South-East, who are serving their second terms in office our correspondent gathered are also deeply involved in the political arrangement but with the promise of vice presidential slot while present and former governors of the North have also been linked to the new party.
Though the name of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was linked to the new party, an insider toldFrontiersnews that Obasanjo is strongly opposed to the inclusion of his former deputy in the party.
A source, who spoke to our correspondent, on condition of anonymity said ” Obasanjo is blocking the inclusion of Atiku Abubakar because of their old quarrel. We are beginning to see the former VP returning to the PDP before 2019 because the APC will certainly not give him the ticket in 2019″.
Top political leaders in both the ruling APC, the PDP and other political parties in the country have also been linked with the new party as consultation intensifies.
An inside source told our correspondent on Monday that key members of the National Assembly, some serving ministers, former governors and a host of other powerful individuals in the country swell the rank of the new political group.
The source stated that in the months ahead, “you are going to see alignment and realignment of political interests. As for the APC and the PDP, there survival will be dependent on their ability to manage their crisis”.
Our correspondent’s investigations revealed that APC strongman Senator Bola Tinubu is already mobilising his supporters to consolidate their hold on the South West bloc and possibly reawaken “his old political bloc”.
Tinubu’s key allies and diehard loyalists who the source said are very unhappy in APC and with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government are already mobilising to recreate the old Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform ahead of the 2019 general elections, another top politician confirmed.
The source said this development is also applicable to the Atiku Abubakar and the Bukola Saraki’s blocs.