In a bid to rally popular support for the coalition of opposition parties spearheaded by him and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been on the political circuit.
THE WHISTLER was reliably informed that the former vice president recently visited a former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau and pleaded with him to help convince sceptics of the coalition in the north.
Gusau is a retired military general who has held several high-level national security, military and intelligence offices, including as national security adviser to former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.
In an article to celebrate his 80th birthday two years ago, Reuben Abati stated that “It is a measure of the man’s capacity and influence that he is even in retirement regarded as Nigeria’s Number one Intelligence Officer and a major force in the determination of Nigerian affairs.”
This is the man Atiku has turned to in his bid to run against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
A source privy to the meeting told THE WHISTLER that Atiku begged Gusau to support the coalition and speak to some northern political heavyweights to equally embrace it.
“Atiku begged Aliyu Gusau to specifically speak to former senate president, David Mark, former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido and ex-presidential aspirant and former governor of Kaduna state, Ahmed Makarfi.
“These are northern leaders who have expressed scepticism about the Atiku/El-rufai coalition and have distanced themselves from it,” the source explained.
Speaking further on the issue, the source said Gusau was also not convinced about the motive of the coalition but decided to speak to these top politicians to hear their own views on what Atiku is planning.
Another source confirmed to THE WHISTLER that Gusau has actually called Mark, Makarfi and Lamido and a meeting has been fixed for this weekend in Gusau’s Abuja residence.
“The meeting is for them to discuss the motives and modalities for the coalition and see if it’s worth supporting,” explained a source close to Gusau.
THE WHISTLER recently reported that Mark has been unwilling to join the coalition because of lack of clarity about the motive of the promoters.
Makarfi, Lamido and many other political stalwarts in the north are also said to be cynical about the coalition which is largely seen as a group on ego fight with President Tinubu and the APC.
While Makarfi has remained publicly silent about the coalition and the crisis in the PDP, Lamido has recently stated that he would not attend any PDP meeting until the party has sanctioned members who had endorsed President Tinubu for a second term.
He specifically mentioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.
The Coalition
A coalition of opposition leaders led by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi; former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; and former National Vice-Chairman North-West of the All Progressives Congress (APC) resolved to work together in March to wrest power from President Tinubu and the ruling APC.
The coalition has expanded to include other aggrieved members of the ruling APC, elements from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as well as the LP.
