Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is currently re-activating his political structures in the states of the federation ahead of his formal declaration to contest for the presidential election next year. It was, however, not clear weekend on which platform he will attempt to actualise his political dream of becoming the nation's president next year.
Though a member of the opposition Action Congress (AC) and on which platform he contested the 2007 general election, Atiku Abubakar is said not to be in good terms with majority of the leaders of the party. Atiku had been linked with the new but yet to be perfected mega party. But differences among members of the planned mega party over who should be the presidential candidate have stalled its take off. At a meeting of the mega party held at the private residence of former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa in Maitama, Abuja, about three weeks ago, an influential member of AC and former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, was reported to have insisted that AC would not forgo its identity in the mega party arrangement.
It was learnt that Abubakar knowing that the mega party may not be in his favour and in an attempt not to be caught unawares in realising his political ambition has decided to reactivate his political machineries in the 36 states. The former vice president who has large follower-ship across the country would not want to take chances and his first step at reactivating his machinery was to distribute campaign vehicles to his state coordinators. Each of the campaign vehicles, sources disclosed, would bear the large portrait of Atiku Abubakar along with inscriptions 'Atiku, a trusted and tested leader' and '2011, a task that must be done'.
According to sources, weekend, the vehicles would soon be on the streets with coordinators commencing mobilisation of supporters for Atiku in all the states.
Sources disclosed also that in addition to the vehicles to be distributed to state coordinators, posters that will dot highways of major cities especially Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt are ready for distribution and posting.
The planned re-entry of Atiku who fell out with former President Olusegun Obasanjo into the presidential race may have put paid to insinuations that the former vice president would step down for former presidential candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari too has dumped the ANPP for another party towards achieving his ambition of governing the country again.
2011: Atiku reactivates structures, distributes campaign vehicles (http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9615:2011-atiku-reactivates-structures-distributes-campaign-vehicles-&catid=85:national&Itemid=340)
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