Atiku, Tinubu to move to a new party ahead of 2019 election

– Report has it that Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar may be considering plans to float a new party ahead of the 2019 general elections

–  A source says both Tinubu and Atiku are not happy with the presidency but do not want to come out openly on it

There are indications that Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, may be considering plans to float a new party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

According to a report on Daily Trust, an alliance between both political heavyweights looks imminent going by their recent displeasure with the presidency.

There are indications that Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar may be considering plans to float a new party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

A source who chose to remain anonymous told Daily Trust on Sunday, October 23, that: “Tinubu is having a serious realignment with Atiku on the possibility of pulling out with their teeming supporters if President Muhammadu Buhari continues to look the other way.”

The source disclosed that both Tinubu and Atiku are not happy with the presidency but do not want to come out openly on it.

He traced their displeasure to the outcome of last year’s governorship election in Kogi state, the APC’s Board of Trustees (BoT) conundrum and the recent governorship primary election in Ondo, among others.

The source said: “While Tinubu expected to win Kogi, Atiku wanted to be the chairman of the BoT, but the presidency frustrated their efforts.”

The source revealed that Tinubu’s annoyance with the presidency started after James Faleke, who was the running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, was subsequently replaced with the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, following the sudden death of Audu.

It was gathered that leaders of the APC were divided over the choice of Bello as the party’s candidate for the supplementary governorship election in the state.

While the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and a group loyal to him had insisted that Yahaya Bello’s name be withdrawn for Faleke, other party chieftains kicked against the move, saying that Bello’s choice and subsequent nomination should be maintained.

His name was thereafter submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Bello came second during the party’s governorship primary election on August 29, 2015.

Having eventually lost out in Kogi, the source said Tinubu was hoping to have his consolation in the forthcoming Ondo governorship election, but the outcome of the party’s primary didn’t go as planned.

ALEXLUCKYNEWS recalls that Atiku and Tinubu had avoided the APC G19 leaders meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in May.

The meeting which took place at the first lady’s wing of the Presidential Villa, in Abuja was to deliberate on appointments to boards of parastatals and the reconstitution of the APC board of Trustees.

However, reports had it that the two political heavyweights of the APC were absent because wide consultations were not made before the meeting of the G19 leaders was called.