The ruling All Progressives Congress, on Tuesday, said it was not intimidated by the recent visits of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and prominent northern politicians to the immediate-past President, Muhammadu Buhari.
The individual visit, which was regarded as a Sallah homage, has been received with mixed reactions.
A former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani, on Monday, described the visitations to the former president in his hometown of Daura in Katsina State as plots to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Buhari handed over power to Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, who garnered 8,794,726 votes to defeat Abubakar, who secured 6,984,520 votes, on May 29, 2023.
According to Sani, who also is an activist, the prominent northerners want to “resurrect the Buhari political charms, and fanaticism and mobilise the gullible to another hollow and bewildering end.”
A project, the former lawmaker in a post on his verified Facebook handle on Monday, noted would eventually fail.
Sani, therefore, urged northerners to reject the faces and their plot to unseat Tinubu come 2027.
Sani said, “The recent visits by some prominent Northern politicians to Daura appears to be the usual Eid homage, but looking deeper and beyond the facade, it’s surreptitiously a new attempt to build a strong northern alliance using ex-President Buhari as a rallying point to challenge and evict President Tinubu’s Government in 2027. It’s a regrouping of northern political forces for the next general election. A project that will eventually kiss the dust.”
Reacting on Tuesday, the ruling APC reiterated that much as Sani’s fear might appear troubling to some people, the party was not losing sleep over the matter.
The Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, who spoke to The PUNCH, said every Nigerian, including politicians, has a right to freedom of association as guaranteed by Nigeria’s Constitution.
He said, “Even though some people say there is always a political undertone in such engagement, we cannot continue to leave politics in the hands of other people. Even if it is, I believe that it is within the purview of every Nigerian to continue to exercise his prerogative. Nothing stops any Nigerian from visiting anybody.
“He can interface with the person in any manner so long as it includes the possibility of national development, and so long as it does not undermine national security. Nigerians are welcome to engage with anybody and share their views and sentiments, as much as they would like to. That is my view on the matter. It is very guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution.”
