As Continental Europe Elects Young Leaders: Atiku, Lamido Haggle Over Rule By Seniority
The Oasis Reporters
September 12, 2018
Rule By Seniority: ‘Atiku Should Step Down For Buhari, If Age’s The Criterion’ – Lamido
At a time European countries are electing young and vibrant men and women to lead them into the next millennium like Emmanuel Macron in France, Croatia’s President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Marie Le Pen the main opposition figure in France and the rest of other young European leaders, two Fulani believers in gerontocracy, former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, are haggling over who should step down for the other in the struggle for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket in Nigeria’s forthcoming Presidential election coming up, first quarter of 2019. Whoever gets the ticket would square off against the septuagenarian Nigerian president, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari.
While Atiku Abubakar had revealed that he was sure that Lamido would step down for him in the presidential race as both men are running for the ticket of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside about ten other aspirants, Sule Lamido has been quoted as saying he wouldn’t step down for him or for anyone else.
He told the gathering that his mother was from Jigawar Sarki, a village in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State before her family migrated to Adamawa State where he was born.
Responding to Atiku’s comment through a statement on Tuesday by his media aide, Adamu Usman, Lamido said he would not step down insisting that he was older than Atiku in terms of politics.
“While it is true that he is older than me age-wise, I’m senior to him politically because I was in the House of Representatives in 1979 when he was an employee of the Nigeria Customs Services.
“And if age is the criterion for standing election then he should drop out for Buhari.
“Even if Lamido did not show interest to contest, PDP should have called him to be the flag bearer and if there is anyone the other aspirants should step down for, it should be Sule Lamido because he has the goodwill, political experience and capacity to confront the ruling party, APC.
“Also if Lamido is to step down, why would he aspire in the first place? Sule Lamido is out to run for the president come 2019 God willing,” Mr Usman stated
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had reiterated his belief that Lamido would make room for him on Monday at the PDP headquarters in Dutse, Jigawa State when he met party leaders in the course of his campaign tour.
He based his prediction on the scenario in the aborted Third Republic when the Yar’Adua brothers initially sought the tickets of the defunct Social Democratic Party.
The late Shehu, who was the elder, was running for president while the late Umar sought the ticket of the same party for governorship of Katsina State but was eventually persuaded to sacrifice his ambition so as not to jeopardise the chances of his elder brother.
In his remark, the state PDP chairman, Salisu Mahmuda, called on the aspirants to be united to prevent what he called an automatic second coming of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the country.
Abubakar later held a closed door meeting with Lamido at his country home, Bamaina in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area, about 50-kilometre drive from Dutse, the state capital.
