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There are indications that the
leadership of the All Progressives Congress may sanction former
Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal,
over the outcome of the National Assembly elections of Monday.
Sources within the APC said Atiku
colluded with Senator Bukola Saraki to undermine the will of the party
while Tambuwal, who is the immediate past Speaker of the House of
Representatives, supported Yakubu Dogara who emerged as Tambuwal’s
successor.
The suspicion of the APC leadership was
reignited by the fact that Atiku was the first person Saraki visited
after emerging as Senate President on Monday, apparently to thank Atiku.
A
reliable source within the party said the party was aware of moves by
the Peoples Democratic Party to secure principal offices in the National
Assembly over a month ago and that was why the party selected staunch
APC members – Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila – as its candidates for
Senate President and Speaker respectively.
The source said the APC knew that the
PDP would approach its old members to actualise this plan. Both Saraki
and Dogara defected to the APC from the PDP.
The source said, “We started keeping
tabs on Atiku in January when he showed that he was not interested in
the success of President Muhammadu Buhari when Buhari was our
presidential candidate. Our fears were reignited when the then
President, Goodluck Jonathan, paid Atiku a visit shortly before the
elections.
“A large section of Atiku’s supporters
defected to the PDP a day after that meeting with Jonathan and that was
why Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Rufai Alkali, said
shortly after that meeting that Atiku would soon return to the PDP.
Atiku even admitted himself that he did not attend Buhari’s rallies.
“Don’t you find it curious that the
first person that Saraki visited after emerging as Senate President was
Atiku? We have information that Atiku told his supporters in the Senate
to vote for Saraki and that was what happened. We know that Atiku is
still nursing a presidential ambition for 2019 and he is now beginning
to build blocks.”
The source said the APC had evidence
that Tambuwal supported Dogara so that he (Tambuwal) could retain his
influence over the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
He said Tambuwal ensured that Dogara
emerged the Chairman, House Services Committee, which is the most
influential committee in the House because of his closeness to Dogara.
He said, “Tambuwal is also nursing a
presidential ambition and needs to retain control over the House. He
will not be able to retain such influence if Gbajabiamila is the
Speaker.”
When contacted, the media aide to Tambuwal, Mallam Imam Imam, said he had no comment over the issue.
Also, a text message to an aide of Atiku was neither acknowledged nor replied.
APC spokesperson, Lai Mohammed, said the
emergence of Saraki and Dogara was unacceptable to the party and that
the party would mete out appropriate sanctions against erring members.
#punch
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