Ex-Vice President backs Obasanjo, says Buhari govt should retrace its steps

He stated this in a statement issued on Friday, June 8, in reaction to the alarm raised by former president Olusegun Obasanjo that Buhari is plotting to jail him on trumped-up charges.

Atiku, who served as Obasanjo's deputy between 1999 and 2007, said the former president has paid his dues and deserves some respect.

He also cautioned the APC-led government to tread carefully and avoid overheating the polity.

The statement said, "I have received with serious concern the purported alert raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo of an alleged plot by the government to arrest him on trumped up charges.

"I am disturbed by this turn of events in our dear country considering the huge price that was paid for us to have democracy.

"I wish to advise that government and its agents should retrace their steps to avoid aggravating the already over heated polity.

"The alert by President Obasanjo is coming against the backdrop of earlier alerts by some leaders, especially those of the opposition of deliberate and orchestrated attempt to intimidate and frame them up.

"I wish to state without equivocation that President Obasanjo is a historical figure in Nigeria’s democracy and that the primary purpose of government is to provide security of lives and property of all citizens and residents irrespective of their status, political affiliation, religious inclination and ethnic leanings.

"Our nation has lost so much precious lives and property that we can no longer afford to travel that road again.

"I wish to appeal to President Buhari to call the security agencies to order in order to douse the tension in the land."

Atiku's ambition

Atiku had in November 2017 defected from the APC to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) giving his reasons as the failure of the Buhari administration to live up to the expectations of Nigerians and the high-handedness in the ruling party.

But many believe Atiku's defection was primarily because of his 2019 presidential ambition, as the APC would unlikely choose him as the party's flagbearer in place of Buhari.

The former vice-president has since appointed a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel to head his 2019 president campaign organization.

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Although Atiku and Obasanjo's relationship is strained, at least to public knowledge, the two camps may reunite, with the purpose of getting Buhari out of office in 2019.

Obasanjo's Coalition for Nigeria Movement had adopted a political party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), to realise its dream of a new Nigeria.

The ADC and over 30 other registered political parties in the country are already in talks for a possible coalition but it is uncertain if the PDP, Obasanjo's former party, is part of the talks.