By Dennis Agbo

THE Zikist-Aminu Kano Pariots (ZAP) has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, as a reiteration of his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar’s original stance on the 2023 presidency.

Reacting to the narrative of the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, presidential spokesman, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, ZAP’s spokesman, Dr. Steve Igweze, said Obasanjo’s choice of Obi resonates with Atiku Abubakar’s belief that 2023 was the turn for Southeast to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, adding that it was unfair for Fulani to succeed Fulani in a multi-ethno-religious country.

Aniagwu had said that it was not Atiku that threw the PDP zoning open for all to contest, adding that Atiku was interested in micro zoning to the South East but that it was Nyesom Wike that frustrated it because he wanted to contest.

While commending Obasanjo for his patriotism and statesmanship, ZAP maintained that the former president and his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, have shown that they know that proper power rotation is the right thing to do to sustain Nigeria’s unity and stability.

ZAP’s spokesman, Igweze, said PDP presidential campaign council’s attempt to dismiss Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi should be seen as a self-serving after- thought.

“For us in the Zikist-Aminu Kano Patriots, Obasanjo’s endorsement is in fulfilment of Alhaji Atiku Abubukar’s innermost mind on micro zoning the 2023 Presidency to the Southeast, before some unpatriotic elements selfishly pushed him to use his Dubai-Machiavellian war-chest to jettison equity, fairness in the PDP Presidential Primary, which created G-5-Wike Masquerade albatross, Igweze said.

On claims by some PDP members that the party’s choice of Atiku was a smart move to win the Presidency with or without Obasanjo’s endorsement, ZAP said it was impossible for PDP and Atiku to pull the northern votes as they contemplate.

According to Igweze, northern voters are among the most sophisticated electorates in Nigeria, whi know Atiku and don’t trust him, stressing that nobody should thinks that Atiku will harvest President Buhari’s 12 million Vote-Bank.

“The North doesn’t trust Atiku, the high tuition fees at his Adamawa University is not pro-poor, as such he does not represent the progressive social welfarist tendency of the north. The northern voters know Atiku as an unsmiling capitalist, a wharf Tax Collector, like his counterpart, the Lagos Tax Collector.”

Expatiating on the Wharf Tax Collector and Lagos Tax Collector aphorisms, Dr. Igweze narrated how Atiku’s main wealth source is from Intel, a logistic company based at the Wharf, just like Tinubu’s Alpha Betta is Lagos Tax Collector.

Igweze noted that 2023 is for the Talakawas, the suffering Nigerian youths and masses, pointing out that ZAP, like elder statesmen Obasanjo, Pa Adebanjo, TY Danjuma and host of silent patriots were afraid of any Tax Collector to preside over Nigeria now because Nigeria’s economy is prostrate and in a cliff-hanger.

“Nobody can deny that Rabiu Kwankwaso has massive votes in Northwest. Kwankwaso, inspite of all the Dubai-Machiavellian lobby, will not play the Aminu Tambuwal betrayal by stepping down. We are happy that President Buhari has serially assured the international community and Nigerians of free, fair and transparent 2023 presidential election.

“In addition, contrary to false media narratives, the APC Northern Governors Forum are not supporting Atiku and that keeps the Buhari Vote-Bank beyond the Dubai war-chest,” ZAP stated.