Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday burst into laughter and kept on for about three minutes when asked by State House correspondents to react to the emergence of former vice president Atiku Abubakar as northern consensus aspirant for the presidential primaries of the People Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2011 general elections. Obasanjo in his usual comic nature said sarcastically in pidgin English, “I dey laugh!”
The two-time former president who attended the National Council of State (NCS) meeting, when cornered during break after the first session of meeting to comment on the emergence of his former deputy while in office, first adjusted his white Agbada, took up his Vicks inhaler, inhaled repeatedly on the inhaler, and laughed, before saying: “I dey laugh !”
“I am full of joy and I wish you (journalists) and Nigerians the fullness of joy. I wish you peace and joy always”; and reporters chorused: “Amen”.
Also commenting barely 24 hours after his counterpart in Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda declared that the North would not betray the South-south because both had enjoyed harmonious political relationship, Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State said the North would soon speak on the selection of Atiku by the Ciroma-led committee.
Below are excerpts from the interview with Governor Shema
What’s your view on Atiku?
He is a presidential aspirant.
He is a presidential aspirant.
But, he is standing in for the North?
You have to ask the North.
You have to ask the North.
But you are a key member of the North?
Yes, I am, but you have to ask the North because I am not the only person in the North.
Yes, I am, but you have to ask the North because I am not the only person in the North.
What’s your personal view?
My view, the North will talk.
My view, the North will talk.
Meanwhile, Vice President, Namadi Sambo has said there is no such thing as consensus candidate from the North. Apparently, he disregarded the recent emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the anointed person of the northern region by the Adamu Ciroma-led committee.
Speaking with aviation correspondents yesterday evening on his arrival in Lagos, Sambo said the frenzy over a northern consensus candidate was unnecessary because the party’s constitution had no such provisions.
“Who said that there is a consensus candidate for the North? Who says so? We are not aware of any northern consensus candidate because our understanding differs and the North has no consensus candidate for this election for the PDP. PDP has constitutional avenues. We have our constitution of the party on how we select our candidate for our different positions for election and just two days ago, INEC presented the timetable which I can assure you the PDP will follow that time table.
The PDP will follow the constitutional processes for the election of our candidate and I can assure you Nigerians, including yourself, I believe right from the time that we declared for election, that it is time for Nigeria to be transformed and the Jonathan/ Sambo is the ticket for this country to be transformed for future development to see that Nigeria becomes one of the most developed countries in the world”, he explained.
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