Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may not be the only political juggernaut that will resign from the embattled ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), there may be other political trailblazers gearing up for the same moves.
Here they are:
- Jibrilla Bindow, Adamawa State Governor: It is widely believed that Jibrilla Bindow’s emergence as governor of Adamawa State was highly bankrolled by Atiku Abubakar. It was reported that he received an amount of five hundred million Naira (N500,000,000) from the former vice president as support towards his election. But Bindow, in a statement issued by his special assistant on press and media affairs, Martins Dickson, on Tuesday, December 29, noted that money was not given to him by Atiku but the APC in Adamawa state. Bindow is a staunch follower of the Waziri Adamawa and he is expected to jump ship alongside his benefactor to the PDP any moment from now.
- Malam Garba Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari. Before his appointment, he was the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors for 16 years. During the period when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was Nigeria’s Vice President, Malam Garba Shehu was media aid to him. It is widely believed that it was Atiku who assigned Shehu to work for President Buhari, even when Buhari was President-elect, Garba Shehu was always with him at the Defence House in Abuja. Garba Shehu first met Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the year 2000. That was in the aftermath of two landmark events affecting the political landscape of the country. The 19 Northern Governors had hosted him to a hugely successful rally/event tagged “Reception 2000,” at which event, the political North said to him: “you are our leader, we are all behind you.” President Obasanjo’s courtiers were to seize upon this and rattle the President that his V.P was scheming for power. There are high chances of Malam Shehu resigning his appointment and realigning back to his boss.(Atiku)
3. Aisha Alhassan (also known as Mama Taraba) Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development: Following the resignation of Atiku from the All Progressives Congress, APC, there indications that Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, may do same in the coming weeks in support of her political godfather. Recall that a few weeks ago at a gathering, Alhassan declared that
“Atiku is my godfather even before I joined politics.”
“And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019.
“Let me tell you today that if Baba said he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that ‘Baba I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve your government as a minister’
But Baba just like you know, I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather. If Atiku said he is going to contest’.
“If because of what I said, I am sacked, it will not bother me because I believe in Allah, that my time has elapsed that is why.
“Baba is not a mad man like those calling for my sack. They have been sending it and spreading that if Baba sees this, I will be sacked.”
4.Members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly: The twenty five member house of assembly may likely resign their membership from the All Progressive Congress and join Atiku. It is widely believed that Abubakar Atiku sponsored most if not all members of the House of Assembly to their current positions.
