The Nigeria Professionals for Atiku Abubakar, a pressure group backing the presidential aspiration of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s vice president, has declared that it will mobilise five million votes for him ahead of the 2023 general election in the country.
Dr. Folus Ejele, the national coordinator of the group, disclosed this to Nigerian Witness in an exclusive interview in Benin.
According to him, “This movement is geared towards galvanizing all professionals of Nigeria origin globally from various professional fields to support,work and influence at least 5 Million Nigerians to be fully persuaded and work towards the Presidential aspiration of H.E. ATIKU ABUBAKAR come 2023.”
On the issue of zoning, he disclosed that Atiku Abubakar himself believes so much in zoning and equity.
“In the sixteen years of people’s Democratic Party (PDP), rule in Nigeria, out of these sixteen years, fourteen years was for the South and two years for the North. The fourteen years in the South fund expression in the persons of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo who did eight years, Dr Goodluck Jonathan who did six years, making it fourteen years. Is it still fair for the president to go to the South?” he wondered.
“If you are to look at zoning, the presidency should go to the North who has ruled for two years. They have ruled for fourteen years out of the sixteen years of PDP. The zoning should automatically go to the North. If u want to look at it from a broader perspective, whether as APC or PDP, by 20233, it would be 24 years of this dispensation of democracy. By 2023, the incumbent president, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari would have ruled for eight years and the two years of late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua would make it ten years. Look at the matrix nationally, the North has ruled for ten years and the South fourteen years, automatically, it should go to the North.
“Nigeria is divided into six geographical zones, four has ruled and two have not ruled. The South East and North East. If is going to go to the North, it should go to North East and later, South East. I think that is what we should be talking about.”
Speaking on the relationship between the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike and Atiku Abubakar, Dr Folus said Atiku does not have problem with the governor of Rivers state.
“Atiku is a unifier, has love for the people and his one man that has friends across all board in the country. After the late nationalist, chief Obafemi Awolowo, he is the next person I can describe as institution in this country. I think the problem is Wike’s presidential ambition maybe Wike sees him as a threat to his ambition,” he said.
“There was a meeting in Sokoto state last week among the northern presidential aspirants, where the former Senate president, Sokoto state governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwa and few others concluded at that meeting that they are going to produce a concessus candidate and after they have gone round in consultation, they would go back to Atiku Abubakar and have final meeting with him.”