EXCLUSIVE: Atiku is a political disaster, says Bafarawa

You don’t have your facts right, ex-Vice President insists

By Oguwike Nwachuku

Two term former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is a political disaster who cannot be trusted with the ticket of the troubled People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 presidential election.

Bafarawa, now a chieftain of the PDP cautioned those insinuating that Atiku would be given the ticket of the PDP to run for the presidential election in 2019 to be wary of such comments as there are more credible aspirants.

However, the former Vice President has disagreed with Bafarawa, saying he has not got his facts right.

Speaking in a telephone chat with TheNiche from the United States last week, Bafarawa who said he will also aspire for the Presidency on the ticket of the PDP noted that he has started doing his background preparations.

Bafarawa said: “I will aspire. I am just preparing underground. Atiku is a disaster. He does not think anything is good for anybody but himself. He has been an opportunist since 1999 till date looking for those to call him and hand over ticket to him, and if he does not succeed he causes trouble and leaves.

“Why can’t he form his own party?  As a chieftain of the All Peoples Party (APP) and later All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), I decided to form my own party, the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and used it to run for election at the highest level to test my popularity. Can Atiku do the same? He is busy jumping from one party to the other thinking he should be begged to contest.

“In 2015 Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso blocked him in the APC by sweeping votes from Kano State. They are still blocking him now. Definitely I will run even if it will mean my last card.”

Bafarawa explained that ever since Atiku pitched tent with the APC he has not been finding it easy politically.

“He has been wanting to rejoin the PDP. He is one of the aspirants not candidates yet for 2019, forget that he will deny it, but the truth is that there is no reserved ticket for anyone in the PDP,” Bafarawa said.

Atiku Responds

But Atiku has denied the claim, saying Bafarawa was wrong in his assessment of his political journey over the years.

Speaking to TheNiche on Monday through his media office, the Waziri Adamawa said: “ Bafarawa got his facts wrong. It is wrong for him to say Atiku is going from party to party. Bafarawa is ignorant of Atiku’s political history in recent time.

“It is on record that PDP was the one that deregistered Atiku during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, causing Atiku to leave the party.

“Atiku’s movement to APC in 2014 if Bafarawa is following political history was because the PDP was factionalised following a convention, and he had no option than to leave. It was not because of his own interest but in the interest of democracy.

“However, Atiku returned to the PDP because of the recommendation of the Ekwueme Committee on reconciliation, and Bafarawa knows that. “Democracy is work in progress, and Atiku as a consummate democrat will always resist impunity whenever it rears its ugly head at any political gathering he finds himself.

“Don’t forget that Donald Trump was once a Democrat before he joined the Republican. Democracy is always work in progress. So let Bafarawa get his facts right.”

According to Atiku, it is all speculation that he has rejoined the PDP as he said he still remains a member of the APC.