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...Read the full article.

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Atiku: I Have Stopped Functioning As VP, So What?

Just before he showed up at the convention of the Action Congress (AC) at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, last Wednesday, where he was adopted as the party presidential candidate, Vice President Atiku Abubakar agreed to meet with The Guardian team at his Ikoyi Crescent home, Lagos strictly for only 15 minutes. A crowd of politicians was massing up in the vast premises to engage him.


The appointment was for 9am. He, however, took position about two hours later and spent a few more moments, apologising for appearing late. He said, "I returned this morning" (apparently from high wire political consultations).

He was calm and collected. There was a determination to advance full length in the battle at hand. "So what? Have I been functioning as a vice president?" he thundered in reply to a question. In other words, threats by the Presidency to declare his office vacant if he leaves the PDP for another party (which he has done) do not bother him.

Resolute is the word. His voice rose, dropped and stabilised to create a rhythm of anger, laughter and aloofness in his narration. He is on a self-appointed mission: to recover Nigeria's fledgling democracy from autocracy.

Essentially, he sees himself too deep in the mess to be unduly cautious. No question was parried as such from The Guardian team of AKPO ESAJERE, EHICHIOYA EZOMON, ABRAHAM OGBODO AND ALABI WILLIAMS.

THE relationship between you and President Obasanjo has gone really bad. When did you two begin to fall apart?

It started before and shortly after the nomination process in year 2003. I had never, all along, believed in the characterisation of the President as unforgiving, vindictive until now. I remember when I mobilised the governors during the re-nomination exercise in 2003, to come with me to meet the President and support his candidacy at House No 7. He asked the governors to be frank and be sincere with him, to open up and let him know their minds. A few of them spoke about his un-forgiveness and his vindictive characteristics.

The President denied being unforgiving and gave examples of families he disagreed with in the past, particularly in the Southwest where he mentioned the family of Chief Awolowo. He said he had forgotten and forgiven everything and that was why he appointed the daughter (of Awolowo) as an Ambassador. He gave other instances and said he could not be described as somebody, who could be said to be un-forgiving.

There were, of course, other governors, who described him as not being marketable and so on. I thought that after speaking frankly and clearing all the doubts in our minds, we had put it behind us and it was all over.

But unfortunately, that was not to be the case post-2003. First of all was the unfolding of the issue of life presidency and tenure elongation, by making sure that every responsibility I held were taken over; by making sure that all my staff were fired; making sure that I had no budget in my office. Even when I wanted to fuel my cars, sometimes, I had to go begging in his office. Sometimes, I had to do with spending my own (money). But I still went along because I am very familiar with the provisions of the Constitution. The Vice President really depends on the President.

Of course, I had to come out openly and publicly to declare my stand on the issue of constitutional amendment. It was done out of pure patriotism and for the love that I have for this country. I have always placed this love first before every other thing. I felt it was not in the best interest of this country, nor in the best interest of democracy. And I came out to speak against it.

One cannot say my position was based on selfishness. No, it was a principled stand and that has characterised all my decisions since I joined politics. Remember that in the 1992/93 primaries in Jos, I declared my stand based on principles.

And even in 1999, if I wanted to run for the presidency, I had the whole of the PDP in my hands. I was deciding who was to go for which office. I handled everything even before the President came in. So, if it were an issue of selfishness, I would have put myself in a strategic position.

I believe that the real point of departure between the President and I was over the issue of constitutional amendment.

The PDP and the President say that they will declare your office vacant if you were to come out as a presidential candidate in the Action Congress (AC). What is your reaction to that?

I am not aware of that statement.

Constitutionally speaking, will it not amount to your vacating office if you declared on the platform of another party?

They cannot invoke any section of the Constitution because that section of the Constitution is not even available for them to invoke.

You know lawyers hardly agree on anything. I have more than 10 legal opinions on this matter. And they are all foremost constitutional lawyers, and if there is anything they have agreed, it is that there is simply nothing anybody can do with my declaration because I have decided to pick a ticket to contest the next election on the platform of another party.

Whatever provision of the Constitution on this matter does not cover President, the Vice and the Governors. What they are always alluding to is the section that applies to the members of the National Assembly. They also allude to what they call joint ticket. That one does not apply because, even in the Second Republic, we had cases that went up to the Supreme Court. There was the case of the Governor of Borno State, who left the GNPP (Great Nigeria Peoples Party) and contested under the UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria) and he remained in office and the case went up to the Supreme Court. It was a determined case.

So, whatever claim anybody makes is not backed by law and we have legal consultants, who have enlightened me on that.

But that is not to say that we should not expect a government and a party that is lawless, like the PDP, to try certain things. After all, they have expelled me from the PDP. So what?

'They Don't Have The Numbers To Impeach Me'

WHEN did you cease, technically, to be a member of the PDP?

I ceased to be a member of the PDP, technically, by the time they conducted the membership re-validation exercise. I went to my ward (in Adamawa State), where I was supposed to be registered by my ward chairman. He was not available and I was just given an ordinary register to write my name.

I came back (to Abuja) and called the President. I said, 'this is the way I was treated. I saw the way you were treated in your own ward. See how I was treated in my own ward.'

He (President) started with bravado, called the (PDP national) chairman and howled some order. Immediately, the chairman came to my office, and brought a new registration card. The person, who signed the card on behalf of my ward chairman, was the National Auditor (of the PDP) and the person, who signed on behalf of my ward secretary, was my Deputy Chief of Staff.

But the constitution of the PDP is very clear: that you will be registered in your ward and the chairman and secretary are the ones to sign. That is the position of the constitution of the PDP. But they gave me a card that was signed by the national auditor and my deputy chief of staff, who are not members of my ward executive. Technically, I was holding an invalid PDP card and from there, I knew they were up to something.

So, it is a very simple and straightforward thing. If they really wanted to re-register me, they would have instructed the Adamawa State executive to bring my ward chairman together with the register of the ward. Then, I would know that PDP wanted me to be a bonafide and valid member. I ceased to be a member legally and according to the PDP constitution from then on. So, what are they talking about?

What then is the basis of your going to court to challenge your suspension from the party?

The basis was to prove law and order. Unless we behave within the rule of law, we will be in chaos. The basis is that in the constitution of the PDP, there is no basis for a re-registration. It is one simple registration. But this is a party that believes in lawlessness. The PDP does not believe in the rule of law. It is most unfortunate that this type of party is governing us. I hope Nigerians will make a change.

Was the PDP always like this?

No, this is not the PDP we formed. In this you need to come to PDP NEC and witness the robust debate. But now, nobody talks at NEC. It is only the leader of the party and chairman, who make pronouncements; nobody talks. And then you now have the hired members, who would now chorus, yes, yes! No more debate.

It is said that you have been so badly damaged in the public domain that you cannot reasonably go for election.

You cannot take away the rights of Nigerians to decide who is to be elected. For somebody to come out and say that I am damaged, let me ask, who is not damaged in this country? You must respect the rights of the voters. Let me have the opportunity to present myself to the voters and let them decide.

Look at what is happening in the United States, with reference to Congressman Jefferson. With the entire bribery allegation and all the exhibits recovered, he ran for election and his constituency voted him. And when they asked Congresswoman Herman, she said she respects the rights of the voters to determine whom they want. But it is also the responsibility of the Justice Department to do their work.

This is how it should be. It should be the right of Nigerians to decide whom they want to elect. It is not the right or duty of a commentator or analyst to sit down and say somebody is damaged. You should respect the sense of judgment of voters to decide.

Back to your decision to leave the PDP for another party. Threats have been issued that even if you refused to resign, it would be made impossible for you to function.

I have already stopped functioning. What is your problem? I have already stopped functioning as a VP. There is a time in the life of a man when you have to take a decision.

Look, I cannot be impeached because of this. If you remove me by force, I will go to the court. You cannot jail me because I have not committed any offence. Go to any court of law today and I tell you that I have not committed any offence. So, what is this? The worse you can say today is that I am no longer the Vice President. So what? Can't I take a decision in my life at a point in time?

I hear this arrant boy say if not because of his immunity, I would jail him. It is not the responsibility of the EFCC to jail me. It is the responsibility of the court to jail me if I have done something wrong. I am prepared to face the court.

Have you contemplated being impeached, if they actually mean business and want you out?

They don't have the numbers. We (the President and I) may end up being impeached altogether.

Given that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has picked the ANPP ticket, will the ANPP/AC alliance still be effective to confront the PDP? Will there be some point of convergence between you and Buhari?

I don't worry; time will tell. You don't worry.

There are fears in certain quarters that given your soured relationship with the President, if you make it to the Presidency you would jail him?

No, not at all! I will have no business to do with such things. There are too many serious things to do for this country. We have lost so much time and there is so much work to do. I won't have that kind of time. We don't have to look back.

What actually happened that weekend when you suddenly moved your family out of Aso Rock?

I don't want to talk about that. Let's put it behind us for now. A time will come when I will talk about it.

'They Tried Psychological Warfare On Me, They Failed'

BACK to the period of the 2003 nomination. It was said that you almost upstaged the President and that your campaign had been put at alert?

There was no campaign; I did not have any campaign plans. All what I had was the pressure by the governors. There was no campaign by me, I did not have a campaign office and I did not ask anybody to campaign for me.

It was really the pressure from the governors, who wanted me to run against the President. I reasoned and told them that it was not in our national interest, and that the South had just assumed power for only four years. I said it would not be in the best interest of the country for us to have the power moved only after four years. And I still stand by it. What ever has happened to me because of that decision I accept it, but I still believe in what I did.

Could you still count on the support of the governors?

They still remain my friends; many of them still remain my personal friends.

Politically?

Politically, they have been so cowed; they are scared. They have been threatened; they are blackmailed and intimidated.

Look, there was a time during this Jefferson case that they used so much psychological warfare against me, to the extent that even the National Security Adviser (Muhktar) was in London together with the President and he called me. He said: "Vice President, we hear you are going to the United States." I said yes! He said: "As the National Security Adviser, I don't want to embarrass you because we have got report that you will be embarrassed when you get to the United States." I said thank you very much, Security Adviser and I put off my phone.

I knew it was a psychological warfare and I said I was prepared to go and face law enforcement agents in the United States because I didn't commit any crime. I went into my aircraft and left for the United States.

When I got to the United States, the reception I got was like that of a President. I had a motorcade that picked me from the airport right to my house. Before, the motorcade would take me from the airport through the outside gate to my house. But this time, they took me right from the airport to my house. I'm not bothered by such psychological warfare.

What remains of the PDM, with the governor of Katsina State, Umar Yar'Adua picking the ticket of the PDP?

I don't know why you keep asking this question. I have said that the Governor of Katsina State was never a member of the PDM. He came out to say that he was never a member of the PDM. So, the PDM remains intact, and I am not aware of one single member of the PDM, who is with the Governor of Katsina State.

You arrived in Lagos on Tuesday in a chartered flight. Why did you not come in your official aircraft?

Because it is a private thing. Normally, this President has made it in such a way that any where I had to go, I had to put up an application in writing, to get permission to travel and also to get permission to use the presidential plane, even though that aircraft was specifically appropriated by the National Assembly for use of the Vice President.

Unfortunately, I made up my mind to come to Lagos and the President was not in town. I am too eager to go back to my normal life as a Nigerian. I have been chartering aircraft as back as 1982. I was still in the Customs and somebody even petitioned President (Shehu) Shagari that I owned an aircraft.

Since 1999, how many times have you hired an aircraft?

This is about the third time.

Can you say that you have remained loyal to President Obasanjo from 1999 till now and he is just paying you back in this measure for no good reason?

Absolutely, absolutely!

You have done so much paper work in terms of what you want to do for Nigeria. Could you sum up on what your policy is all about?

My philosophy is just to work for Nigeria for the rest of my life.

Don't you feel betrayed?

When you have to deal with human beings, you must give room for that. Human beings that even betrayed their God, who created them? So, who is man not to feel betrayed?

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good talk my old arse-licking-friend, mr. paul adujie....atiku is a criminal, but mak you not forget baloji aluko is in the same political party where the man be presidential flag-bearer...just forget nigeriana you dey hear? 2007 go be another story!

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Hi, folks!

I believe Mr. Paul ADUJIE Esq., the IT professional from New York, the unrepentant, die-hard hard-core official OBJ sycophant, obasanjophilic praise-singer, pro-Aso Rock Villa arsehole hair licker, and veteran ego massager of the Balogun Owu, is overdoing this his hossanah-singing, and "I-am-here" attention seeking gambit.

When did General Olusegun Obasanjo cease to be the President of Nigeria? And so, why the insinuation that Atiku Abubakar, the constitutionally recognised Vice President of Nigeria has been dismissed? Dismissed by whom?

Anyway, sha, at US$10.00 per character, including spaces, his palpably partisan and grossly biased outburst on this thread must have fetched Mr. Paul ADUJIE enough lolly (approx. US$125,710), at least for a jolly funky New Year holiday bash in, say, Florida, Los Angeles, the Bahamas, or Hawaii.

Please disregard the entire contents of this piece of Aso Rock-assisted blatant propaganda in cyberspace.

Muchas gracias.

Don Juan Carlos ABRAXAS (III)

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Of course, I had to come out openly and publicly to declare my stand on the issue of constitutional amendment. It was done out of pure patriotism and for the love that I have for this country. I have always placed this love first before every other thing. I felt it was not in the best interest of this country, nor in the best interest of democracy. And I came out to speak against it.

One cannot say my position was based on selfishness. No, it was a principled stand and that has characterised all my decisions since I joined politics...

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There, oga ex-VP, is where you went astray. Carpe Diem. You could have ridden on the crest of the victory against Baba's TTA by resigning at once. But, of course, you needed your immunity... :eek:

As for 1999, you stood no chance because the nation demanded power-shift. Remember that.

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Abraxas:

Ma da Bobo yen l'oun jare (No mind dat Bobo jare)! It is folks like him (ILN), who is making some of us sound like we love Atiku any more than we love the Old Man in Aso Rock. I mean, look at that heavily biased piece he just dumped in the Village Square. As far as most of us are concerned, the-two-both-of-them (Baba and Atiku) can go to blazes with their lawless feuds!

Auspicious.

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Paul wrote:
I have been asking, some of these questions, both privately and publicly, to which others are now beginning to add their voices! Ask yourself; Can Tony Blair of Britain cross over from his party and join the Conservative Party and still remain the Prime Minister of the Labour Government. Can he? I don’t think so! Can Dick Cheney in America cross over from Republican Party and join the Democratic Party and still remain the Vice President, it is not possible. The answer is NO

Can Cheney trash and thrash President Bush and the Republican party, and the war policy in Iraq, over and over and over again, then Cheney joins another party and then seeks to use taxpayer purchase d vehicles and jets to campaign against President Bush and the Republican party? NO

Answer:

YES, though the kind of political madness that is happening in Nigeria has not, and will not, happen in these countries you mentioned. But something close to that happened in Israel. Former Israeli PM, Ariel Sharon, Left his Likud party and formed his own party, Kadima, when he could not agree with his party over the unilateral withdrawal of the Israeli troops from the west bank and he still retained his Premiership until he fell ill.

Does that answer your question?

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=Abraxas;146481>Hi, folks!

I believe Mr. Paul ADUJIE Esq., the IT professional from New York, the unrepentant, die-hard hard-core official OBJ sycophant, obasanjophilic praise-singer, pro-Aso Rock Villa arsehole hair licker, and veteran ego massager of the Balogun Owu, is overdoing this his hossanah-singing, and "I-am-here" attention seeking gambit.

When did General Olusegun Obasanjo cease to be the President of Nigeria? And so, why the insinuation that Atiku Abubakar, the constitutionally recognised Vice President of Nigeria has been dismissed? Dismissed by whom?

Anyway, sha, at US$10.00 per character, including spaces, his palpably partisan and grossly biased outburst on this thread must have fetched Mr. Paul ADUJIE enough lolly (approx. US$125,710), at least for a jolly funky New Year holiday bash in, say, Florida, Los Angeles, the Bahamas, or Hawaii.

Please disregard the entire contents of this piece of Aso Rock-assisted blatant propaganda in cyberspace.

Muchas gracias.

Don Juan Carlos ABRAXAS (III)

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Don.......i like dis ya AVATAR no be small.........de bobo egyptian mummy face dey familiar:lol: :biggrin:

If only ILN will channel dis kin energy for things wey get better value. I begy dis article na real crap........what a way to end the year.........what do we call dis one now?

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Paul, I am of the opinion that you are a complete lunatic and an apology to the law profession. Your article is senseless and just shere space occupier. Somehow I got this funny feeling that you are a paid clawn with no sense of direction. I implore you to desist henceforth from writing on this medium as your articles are repulsive even to the objective minds.

No bi play we de play here.

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Can Tony Blair of Britain cross over from his party and join the Conservative Party and still remain the Prime Minister of the Labour Government. Can he? I don’t think so! Can Dick Cheney in America cross over from Republican Party and join the Democratic Party and still remain the Vice President, it is not possible. The answer is NO

It is obvious that this author is both ignorant of foreign politics and Nigerian politics. First of all, the UK is a parliamentary system which means that the majority party governs the country and the leader of such party upon confirmation by the soverign becomes Prime-minister. Obviously if such a leader were to decamp to another party, he would give up his position HOWEVER Nigeria is not a parliamentary system so that analogy is invalid. With respect to Cheney, if he were to do the things you mentioned, he may face political pressure within and without to resign BUT he cannot be fired by the US President. Nigeria's political system is akin to this. The Vice-President may be removed ONLY by death, resignation or impeachment. The rule of law wasn't followed and while I am certainly no loyal fan of Atiku (As a matter of fact I despise the man), I believe the rule of law which is the bedrock for any democracy must be adhered to. If OBJ didn't like his VP, he should have lobbied the congress to impeach the VP so as to gain credibility. His disregard for the constitution and utter contempt for the law is a negative impression of himself not Atiku. Indeed I am very sick and tired of those who have no idea about or disregard for the law as it stands and write baseless articles such as the one above