Some APC members trying to hijack Buhari’s govt

…says he’ll fight with all his assets

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the election of presiding officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly worsened on Sunday as a chieftain of the party and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar vowed to fight with all assets at his disposal to support President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed. This is even as he exonerated himself from the purported hijack of the party and the National Assembly towards 2019. Atiku who specifically denounced the increasing determination of some people to draw a wedge between President Buhari and himself said it has become clearer some hatchet men are desperate to vilify him. The former Vice President maintained that he holds Buhari in the highest esteem and would always remain loyal to him. He said he supported Buhari in every endeavour to succeed as president and restated his unalloyed commitment to the administration which he pledged to back with assets at his disposal. He said; “We cannot allow liars, denigrators and blackmailers and their sponsors to use Atiku as platform to ingratiate themselves with President Buhari and hijack his presidency under the pretext of loving him more than anyone else. “These political ventriloquists are hiding behind the cover of anonymity to achieve their sinister agenda of making Atiku the fall guy in the unfolding political developments." Atiku described the insinuation as the figment of the imagination of those promoting it, saying that the recent outcomes of the National Assembly elections are products of interplay of politics which is itself in constant motion and thus urged Nigerians to ignore insinuation. According to him; “In politics, it is a mistake to expect fixed outcomes. As the President has done, let's all come to terms with what has happened in the interest of the system and move on.” He stressed that it is dangerous for any individual or group in the ranks of the ruling party to constitute themselves into an opposition even before the constitution and take-off of President Muhammadu Buhari's government. Atiku in a statement issued by his Media office in Abuja, while acknowledging that it is legitimate and desireable for individuals or groups to seek to pursue their interest, said such must be done with the benefit of sustaining democracy and promoting equity, fair play and justice. The statement which was signed by Paul Ibe against the backdrop of developments in the polity, noted that the development are interplay of forces and interests that are dynamic, but must not be promoted to the point of being a threat to our democracy and the new administration. According to him; "Anything to the contrary may jeopardise our hard-earned democracy and constitute a clog in the wheel of the new administration. Suffice it to say that the new administration should be allowed a smooth take off and be allowed the atmosphere to deliver. On this, I stand with President Buhari. Atiku therefore urged members of the APC to emulate the unity of all the presidential contestants after the party's Lagos primaries and support the President to form his government and get to work.