Count me out of Atiku’s coalition, Governor says

Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State says he is not joining the opposition leaders’ coalition being spearheaded by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, in Damaturu on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a viral text message had claimed that Mr Buni and four other APC governors had concluded arrangements to defect to the opposition PDP and join the coalition being championed by Atiku before the 2027 general elections.

Mr Mohammed described the viral message as baseless fabrications, unwarranted imagination and assumptions that did not cross path with reality in any way, shape and form.

He said that at no time was the author of the text ever been close to the governor to think that he could attempt to predict the governor’s political movement.

“Buni is no ordinary member of APC; he is not just an APC governor. He is APC in all ramifications, with APC flowing in his veins.

“His contributions to building APC as a two-term National Secretary and National Chairman who chaired the party’s convention committee makes him unique and whose imagination of leaving the party cannot be speculated,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said that the author and his paymasters must have been interested in Buni’s political sagacity and only wished they would have the likes of the governor. It must be wishful thinking,” he said.

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Atiku and former Governor Nasir El-Rufai are spearheading the formation of a coalition to challenge the ruling APC in the 2027 general election.

The governors elected on PDP platform, the party to which the former president belongs recently rose from a meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to say they would not be part of any such political partnership.

Atiku responded the governors shortly afterwards, saying the coalition arrangements would go ahead despite the near unanimous opposition of his party’s governors.

(NAN)