Yar'Adua, Atiku strike deal

Yar'Adua	Atiku

JOHN SHIKLAM, Kaduna

Immediate past vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, may have been persuaded to join forces with President Umaru Yar’Adua and withdraw his petition against the election of the latter in the April 21 presidential poll.

Sources close to the former vice president told Daily Champion yesterday that Atiku, who is billed to return to the country tomorrow from London, United Kingdom (UK), had already received his party’s (Action Congress) nod to decide whether or not to accept the hand of fellowship extended to him by President Yar’Adua.

Meanwhile, Yar’Adua yesterday said that his administration would carry all Nigerians along irrespective of tribe or religion to move the nation forward.

The president, who gave the assurance when Primate of the Anglican Church and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Peter Akinola, paid him a courtesy visit at the State House, Abuja, also pledged to do his "best with the absolute fear of God."

Yar’Adua’s assurance came even as daughter of presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Hafsat, urged Nigerians to support the new administration.

However, our correspondent gathered that Abubakar’s return to Nigeria would pave the way for reconciliation with Yar’Adua and quicken the formation of an all-inclusive government including representatives of the opposition parties.

Government, we learnt, was determined to broker a deal with Abubakar to persuade him to withdraw his petition against the April 21 presidential election result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said our source:

"The leadership of the AC would appear to have strengthened Atiku’s hand in future negotiations by conceding to him (Atiku) the ultimate decision on whether or not to press on with the petition, and on how to respond to the olive branch waved at the opposition by the Yar’Adua government.

"It is generally believed that if Atiku embraces the new government upon his return, the Yar’Adua administration would be able to overcome the legitimacy questions hanging on it as a result of the controversial elections results announced by INEC.

Our source said government was deliberately holding back on major decisions until Atku returns to Nigeria tomorrow.

Government, we learnt, may have been worried about speculations that the former Vice President deliberately became "unavailable" to a legion of lobbyists recruited from among his respected acquaintances to pressure him out of the decision to challenge the presidential election result in court.

Daily Champion recalls that former Vice President Olusegun Atiku Abubakar battled ex-President Obasanjo to a stalemate over the latter’s attempt to illegally elongate his tenure, and thereby provoked a backlash from the former president who was bent stop Atiku from succeeding him as President.

President Yar’Adua is known to have reached out to key elements of the AC and other opposition leader to explore the possibility of recognizing his government.

Our source said that Atiku has stayed away all these while partly for health reasons and partly to evade pressure from those who were mobilized to persuade him to give up he legal battle that he was preparing against the INEC presidential election result.

They pointed out that Atiku has chosen to return after the stipulated time (three weeks) for filling of a response by the ruling PDP on the petition that was ade against the Presidential Elections by the Action Congress.

"This may mean that the former Vice President may have decided to press on with his petition, even as desperate attempts are being made to pressure him into withdrawing it from the Tribunal".

Meanwhile, President Yar’Adua yesterday said that his administration would carry all Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion along because they all have equal stake under his government.

The President told the Primate of the Anglican Church and President of the Christain Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Peter Jasper Akinola, who paid him a courtesy call at the State House that he would do his "best with the absolute fear of God."

According to the President, "we will work equally for all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion. We will do all that is humanly possible to serve Nigeria selflessly," adding that he has the unwavering belief that Nigeria was a nation under God’s guidance and control.

"Nigerians have a lot of faith and belief in God, and this is acknowledged all over the world," the President added.

He acceded to Archbishop Akinola’s request for close consultation with the leadership of the Christian Association, assuring him that "we will provide opportunities for consultations on major national issues. We will seek your support to educate Nigerians on major issues, so that the nation can move in one direction".

He also said the Administration would set up a joint consultative committee of Christian and Muslim leaders to advice on major national issues.

On the Aso Villa Chapel, the President welcomed plans to continue worship there, "it was built for worship, so it will be used for that purpose, with the Vice President attending Sunday worship there."

He said he looked forward to meeting the leadership of the CAN in the near future.

Speaking earlier, Akinola had said all Christians were supporting the administration and were praying for the success of the President’s programmes as enunciated on May 29, 2007.

"All points you raised in your inauguration speech were statements of intention, but we have turned them into prayer points in all Churches nationwide, for God to enable you execute them", he stated.

He assured President Yar’Adua of the Association’s support through prayers and advise whenever necessary or appropriate, and assured him that steps would be taken to ensure that the Aso Villa Chapel was judiciously and carefully utilised.

The audience was attended by the Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Dr. William Okoye, Chaplain of the Aso Villa Chapel.

Similarly, Founder and Executive Director of Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) Hafsat Abiola has urged Nigerians not to demand a pound of flesh from President Yar’Adua but should rather give him their support for him to succeed.

She said that although the President came into power through odd means, he should be given chance to prove himself.

Fielding question from newsmen in Lagos at a June 12 1993 election commemoration lecture titled "June 12: Challenges to a Brighter Future" organised by the National Co-ordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) Otunba Gani Adams, she said: "Although the current political dispensatioin does not have a credible mandate from the masses, Yar’Adua should be given the opportunity to prove his leadership potentials. I have a lot of respect for Yar’Adua. He has a good pedigree, he is a listening president and we should have hope in him even though there are forces which put him in power.