2019: You’re Going Nowhere, Tinubu Tells Atiku

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday said he did not care whether former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar met in Dubai or jungle to strategise on how to capture power in 2019, but that he knew his candidacy will not fly.
Tinubu, who spoke in Abuja with journalists after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, also insisted that the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Adams Oshoimhole remained as chairman despite mounting pressure for him to resign.
The former governor, who reacted to the news of Atiku’s meeting in Dubai, said the former vice president could meet anywhere to strategize but that Nigerians would not vote for him.
“We don’t fear, whether it is in the jungle, or is in Dubai or is in Abu Dhabi, people are free to meet and strategize in any way they form but we are not going back to the illusion of the PDP.
“It is not possible, Nigerians will not do that. They say slow and steady wins the race; we inherited that from our forefathers and knowledgeable people.
“We can’t go back to the pit that we inherited for 16 years. They can strategies from anywhere but a leopard cannot change it skin,” he said.
On Oshiomhole’s removal, Tinubu said “No. We all have to respect the party supremacy. You were all here when we had the Congress, we elected the new executives, the convention we had it, the NEC was formed and we surrendered to avoid conflict, to avoid domination, to avoid abuses of power, we surrendered our rights, all rights to the National Working Committee headed by Adams Oshiomohole.
“That the National Working Committee should set up electoral bodies to supervise various state congresses and elections. ’We signed off for it’. So, if it is not in our individual favour, so be it.
“We gave three options, consensus, where there is no consensus because if you are more than two or three and you cannot agree to one candidate, you go to the next level.
“The next level is the stakeholders delegate and you have to be supervised by the National Working Committee of the party, national election committee of the party. That shows party supremacy or the freest option, the less cumbersome is to open direct primary, line up and count the number, 1, 2, 3. If you win, you win and if you fail, go home.
“Then appeal committee was set up to listen to all appeals, internal mechanism for conflict resolution. It was there, you cannot turn round against that, you cannot turn against all of that.
“No. Party is supreme, party must be respected, abuses will not do it and anger will not do it. It is party politics, somebody will win and somebody will lose, too bad.” he stated
When asked on the purpose of his visit to the Presidential Villa, he said, “The meeting is about the nation, the country, our people, peace, stability and economic progress.”