Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, held a secret meeting with Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and his Adamawa State counterpart, Murtala Nyako at his Yola residence late Friday night on burning national issues.

Although details of the outcome of the meeting were sketchy as at the time of filing this report, sources said that among other things, it was in connection with how they could form a formidable force to check the alleged re-election ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

After the meeting, Atiku also held discussions with his associates in the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), a new political party with which he is believed to have a strong affinity.

Sources said that at the meeting, it was agreed that should President Jonathan declare his interest in the 2015 presidential race, northern leaders should mobilise forces and stop him.

The three leaders, who are still members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had been in a running battle with President Jonathan over perceived irreconcilable differences, which made them to break away from the mainstream of PDP to form the “New PDP”, led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

Governor Nyako had openly hosted a delegation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which many considered a pointer to where he would be pitching his political tent.

Governor Aliyu, who was ostensibly in the state to attend the turbanning of Talba Adamawa Daniel Bwala, was said to have been involved in a marathon meeting with his PDP associates in the state, in order to chart a course against the onslaught from the mainstream party, especially in the wake of two rulings by the courts, which declared the “New PDP” illegal.

In a speech he delivered at the Lamido Adamawa’s Palace shortly after he was crowned Bauran Adamawa, Aliyu had attributed the crisis bedevilling the PDP to the undemocratic attitude of some members of the party, who placed their personal interests above the collective interest of the country. He commended the role being played by Atiku, who he described as a true democrat, following his overtures with other democrats to ensure sanity in the PDP.

“I want to articulate my earlier appeal in Sokoto, where I urged you, former vice president to help us unify and unite northerners, to ensure that we have one northern entity devoid of primordial sentiments and differences. We need unity, peace and mutual understanding with a sense of responsibility. We need unity in our country,” Aliyu said.

The governor charged his comrades in the G-7 to remain steadfast despite the intimidation they faced in the course of ensuring that justice and fair play were entrenched in the polity.

“Many people did not understand what transpired when seven of us said we want true democracy to prevail in the ruling party,” Aliyu said, adding that they were fighting for the cause of ordinary Nigerians and to set the country off in the right direction, because any crisis in the ruling party portended disaster for the country.

“Whatever happens in PDP will surely affect Nigeria, because it is the ruling party and following the drift in the party, we the concerned members felt that we must make sacrifices in order to restore equity, justice and fair play in the polity. Those elders who are more concerned with achieving their personal interest than with the interest of the people were so bitter and rattled. I believe that the people have now begun to understand the issue, that we are really for the unity of the country,” he said.

Atiku held another meeting with the state chairman of the PDM, Alhaji Ibrahim Mijinyawa and all the 21 chairmen of the party at the local government level.

Reporters were prevented by security officials from entering the venue during the meeting, but Mijinyawa and the chairmen were seen being screened at the entrance of Atiku’s house before the meeting started.

•Source: LEADERSHIP Sunday. Photo shows Atiku.

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