•PDP’s interest’ll override personal ambition, says Ekiti gov

Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has visited Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on his presidential ambition in 2019.
Atiku defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in November 2017.
Feelers from the meeting indicated that Atiku may reach a pact with Fayose.
Speaking with newsmen, yesterday, during a visit/consultation with Ekiti party members, on 2019, Atiku dropped hints that he would discuss his ambition with Fayose, whom he described as a force to reckoned with in the PDP
“Today, among the governors, among the party, generally, he calls the shots and when he does so, we all take the cue,” said Atiku.
In his response, Fayose, who also described Atiku’s ambition as legitimate and a welcome development, assured that, in spite of his own aspiration to rule Nigeria, the party’s interest would be placed above individual aspirations.
“ He (Atiku) has not spoken to me privately about it and maybe, he would do that in our private meeting. But, his body language obviously shows he has an ambition, which is legitimate. We will examine everybody and we will play a level-playing ground; as he has come, others will still come.”
On the issue of being vice president, “as I said, in the Book of Ezekiel 37: 33, the Holy Bible says ‘God asked: can this bone live? And the prophet answered and said ‘Thou knoweth.’
“All these questions are questions for God and He has answers for them; man has no answer. You may wish anything for me, but, God’s wish is supreme. I deserve to serve this country as president. I have paid my dues. I am not a hidden voice. I have all it takes to lead this country, but, whichever way it goes, the interest of our party comes first. It is above our individual aspirations. Whoever the party finally picks as candidate will be supported by others.”
Atiku, who refused to comment on former President Obasanjo’s Tuesday open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, said Nigerians are to evaluate his letter, but advised the electorate not to vote the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 presidential election because “APC has failed this country. That party is not the solution to our country’s challenges. “
Earlier, the former VP expressed gratitude at Fayose’s warm reception. “Since my return home to the PDP, this is the first state I am visiting for consultations with party leaders. This is not surprising as Fayose and I had struck a good relationship since his first tenure as governor and I was VP. He is blunt and straightforward, a sharpshooter in politics and I respect him for this. But, above all, he is also the chairman of our forum…I am coming back to campaign with you for 2018 polls,” Atiku told Fayose.
Assuring the former VP that his return to PDP would yield fruits, he replied: “I want to assure you that we only have leadership in Abuja, real party is in the states and at the local government level. We have done it before, we will do it again.”