As the All Progressives Congress (APC) through its ongoing National Convention settles for who will fly the party’s flag in next year’s presidential poll, feelers have emerged over the unease gripping the political camp of President Goodluck Jonathan over the likely emergence of an Atiku candidature for the APC.
A Presidency source who begged not to be named told Daily Sun that there were whispers of mutual suspicion among the foot soldiers of Jonathan on the high possibility of internal sabotage and outright betrayal of the President, should former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar picks the APC presidential ticket.
According to the source, the political caucus of Jonathan is particularly worried about the good rapport Atiku enjoys with several members of the United States Congress and other top government and security officials in the United States.
He hinted that the Presidency was equally edgy owing to the fact that many members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and several other leaders of the ruling party were friends of Atiku.
The source further pointed out that part of the fears in Jonathan’s camp were that many serving PDP governors, ministers and advisers in the present administration as well as state executives are in Atiku’s debt and might betray Jonathan to favour Atiku, once they saw that he was the sole candidate of the North and therefore has brighter chances of victory.
In the words of the source: “There is the fear that Atiku would pose the greatest challenge to Jonathan’s second term ambition for a number of reasons. Atiku’s relationship with the United States is of serious concern. Coming at a time when Abuja’s relationship with Washington is at its lowest ebb over insecurity in the country, the US may favour regime change in Nigeria, which may benefit Atiku.
“There is also the fear of sabotage from senators, Representatives members, serving and former PDP governors, who might have benefited from Atiku. The same goes for serving ministers and advisers to the President, some current NWC and BOT members as well as state executive of PDP. Atiku’s machinery in the PDP is still intact. The man has a lot of friends and loyalists in Jonathan’s cabinet and across all levels of the PDP who may either switch camp or even work discreetly for him while still on Jonathan’s payroll.”
The insider squealed that the Presidency was aware of the foregoing hence its worries that aside possibly being the sole candidate of the North and being believed by most Nigerians to be a liberal Muslim without ethnic bias or other sentiments, the former Number Two citizen stood a better chance to defeat Jonathan at next February’s presidential election.
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