They have damaged my candidacy, says Ribadu - source: next newspapers

Nuhu Ribadu, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) flag bearer

A dramatic 24 hours in the presidential race reached a climax yesterday after Nuhu Ribadu, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) flag bearer, expressed regret for agreeing to step down for his Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari.

On a frenetic day of alliance talks, there were several twists and turns before the deal eventually collapsed. Mr. Ribadu had, during an intense moment in the discussions, agreed to dump his presidential ambition in order for the long mooted coalition to work.

The collapse of the alliance means that Mr. Ribadu is going into Saturday’s presidential election with what will seem like little conviction amongst his supporters. In a message sent to NEXT, Mr. Ribadu conceded that the reversal would have a lasting impact on his future prospects.

“This is the way this thing has been going all through,” he said. “I know the damage they have done to me personally, but I leave that to God.”

Sources at the three day meeting between the ACN and the CPC caucus said that on Tuesday, a decision had been made by Mr. Ribadu in which he accepted to step down for Mr. Buhari for the April 16 election.

“He was surprisingly cool about it all,” said an ACN delegate at the meeting.

“He said it has never been a do or die affair with him and he was willing to leave the race so that the alliance will work.”

Mr. Buhari and a former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, led the discussions for their respective sides. Mr. Buhari had reportedly been eager for the meeting to succeed but was unwilling to back down on certain points, including the idea that Mr. Tinubu becomes his vice president.

Mr. Ribadu said he was willing to sacrifice his ambition but others at the meeting were not so selfless.

“We have done our part. I have agreed to step down. We have sacrificed for the country. And they won’t even sign a simple letter?” he lamented.

The letter that ended a hope

After three days of intense deliberations, the parties finally reached a consensus on all the outstanding points. They agreed to field a single candidate, CPC’s Muhammadu Buhari, in the election; that ACN’s Nuhu Ribadu will immediately announce he was no longer running; that the ACN will campaign vigorously for Mr. Buhari’s candidacy, especially in the south west where it has such a great influence; that although it is too late to field another running mate for Mr. Buhari, Tunde Bakare, the CPC vice presidential candidate, will step down immediately after the election; that Mr Tinubu will not be allowed to replace him but may nominate those who would; that Mr Buhari reserved the final right to choose from among the list of three candidates that Mr. Tinubu submits.

Mr Tinubu, whose vice presidential ambition had also been blamed for the collapse of previous talks, immediately named three people for the job. They are Yemi Osinbajo a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Mr Tinubu’s administration, Yemi Cardoso, who was Mr Tinubu’s budget commissioner and a former Lagos State finance commissioner, Wale Edun.

Although Mr. Bakare had agreed to these terms, he balked when the ACN delegates insisted he signed a post dated resignation letter to seal the deal. He vehemently refused to append his signature to such a document. According to a source, it was at this point that the overnight meeting, which went on till 2am, reached an impasse.

The ACN refused to take Mr Bakare’s word that he will abide by the meeting’s decision. “How else could they make sure that he would not back out later?” said a former governor who was also a facilitator at the meeting.

No alliance anymore

The ACN delegates, who at this point were visibly aggrieved by the CPC, quickly started some damage control. The party’s national chairman, Bisi Akande issued a statement assuring its supporters that the party has not entered into any alliance with the CPC.

“We as party that believes in democratic values have therefore decided that in the overall interest of the parties involved, our democracy as well as our country, it is better for each of the parties to go into the presidential election on its own platform,” he said.

Also smarting from the breakdown in discussions, Bunmi Aborishade, the coordinator, Team Ribadu USA Convener, Ribadu for Nigeria Coalition said, “Please note that the alliance talk between the ACN and the CPC to field a single candidate finally broke down yesterday because Buhari/CPC reneged on the earlier agreement that the party with the highest number of seats in the National Assembly elections would produce the presidential candidate for the two parties.”

A small window

However, Rotimi Fashakin, the CPC spokesman, said talks were ongoing. “I really don’t know when you get that information. Talks are ongoing and 10 minutes in politics can make a lot of difference so, don’t rely on the information you got 45 minutes ago. I believe that all the impediments have been removed.”

When asked if the two parties have finally agreed to go into the election together and settled all differences, he said: “I believe so.”

Mr. Akande similarly left open a small window of opportunity.

“If at the end of the election on Saturday there is no clear winner we will make a decision on which way to go, in the overriding interest of all Nigerians,” he said.