A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, on Saturday said the exit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the party would not impact negatively on the party’s fortunes.
He noted that no serving governor, presiding officer of the National Assembly or key national executive officer of the party is in sync with the former Vice President.
Olaosebikan said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
He said for a politician of Atiku’s status to leave a party almost alone showed that the former Vice President has declined in celebrity status and followership.
According to Olaosebikan, what many had expected was a simultaneous ripple effect of a torrent of resignations across the country.
“Surprisingly, more than 48 hours after the much-hyped resignation, the political space remains silent,” he said.
Olaosebikan said he was certain that no governor would follow Atiku.
He said in spite of the defection, President Muhammadu Buhari would win hands down and that the party would perform better in 2019.
The Oyo State-based politician who said that he has a lot of respect and love for the former Vice President maintained that Atiku should have shown more fortitude and greater mellowness in his relationship with the President rather abandoning him and his party after all his efforts and contributions to his election.
“Going through the resignation letter, I found out that the Turaki did not exercise enough fortitude.
“He allowed politics and ambition to take control of him. He should have stayed with his avowed position in 2013 that the All Progressives Congress was his last bus stop politically, and leave the rest in the hands of Allah.
“What the President needs from us particularly the big political players is love, understanding, support and prayers as already being exhibited by the National Executive of the party and our National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who at different fora recently gave us hope and assurances of a better tomorrow,” he said.
When asked to comment on Tinubu’s recent declaration that the party would not give automatic ticket to Buhari for a second term, Olaosebikan said Tinubu’s position was in the best interest of the President, APC and the country as a whole.
“ Asiwaju, with the declaration of no automatic ticket was merely portraying the President as a genuine democrat who believes in due process.
“What Asiwaju Tinubu said was in support of strengthening our democracy and our political institution which we need to do with all seriousness.
“You would recall too, that he stated that all the organs of the party would support him through the processes.
“In a nutshell, he is in full support of his second term and you know with him, all the APC governors and the presiding officers in the National Assembly, the ticket is already in the pocket of the President.
“And when it comes to the general election, it is a platitude that you cannot compare the popularity and acceptability of President Muhammadu Buhari with that of any person in the country today.
“He will win in the North and in the South convincingly. Muhammadu Buhari is not loved for money or any material thing; he is passionately loved for his strong character and piousness,” he concluded.
