Marafa Reveals Condition For Tinubu To Work With Atiku, Peter Obi

Former Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabir Marafa has said there is nothing left for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi to prove after the verdict of the Supreme Court on the 2023 election.

He however said the probability of President Bola Tinubu working with them depends on the attitude of the opposition leaders.

According to him, Tinubu may decide to form a government of national unity and work with everyone if the opposition members extend a hand of friendship.

Marafa made the submission while speaking with State House correspondents after a visit to President Tinubu.

The lawmaker however urged Atiku, Obi and others to join hands with Tinubu to move Nigeria forward and build the country.

Answering the question on the probability of Tinubu forming a Government of National Unity (GNU), Marafa said: “I am not Mr. President, but I like the way you put the question ‘do you think’? I know Mr. President is a politician and he knows the game very well. He is the one to decide to say ‘now should I go ahead to form a government of national unity like I wanted to or having seen the behaviour of the participants, I should abandon it’?

“Their behaviour from Thursday, I think, will determine what the President will do. If they take the judgement with open hearts and extend a hand of friendship to Mr. President, I know the President will want to work with everybody. Governance is something that you need all hands on deck to succeed, especially in a complex country like Nigeria.”

We Need All Hands On Deck

Marafa added that having exhausted all constitutional options available in challenging the outcome of the 2023 presidential elections, it is expected that the opposition members would join hands with Tinubu in building the country.

He said: “My prayer and wish for them is to bury their differences and join hands with Mr. President to move the country forward, especially given the problems we have across the nation. So, we need all hands on deck now. It is over. They have done what they are supposed to have done. The constitution gives them inherent rights to challenge the victory. But with the verdict of the apex court, the battle is over.

“Like the president said, he is going to concentrate on his job without giving anybody any opportunity to distract him. So, on their part, I wish they would join hands with Mr. President to move the country forward.

“When I lost the election, I congratulated the person who defeated me. I also promised that the best thing that I can give the people of Zamfara Central is to cooperate with whoever they choose to be their Senator to move the zone forward. Because they elected me twice and I won convincingly in the two elections.

“So, if now somebody says I lost, I think I should accept the fact that in any game, there are winners and there are losers. Yesterday, I was the winner and today, I lost. I should accept it and move forward, tomorrow is another day.

“So, I expect also at the national level for our elders to do the same. They have exhausted their rights. So, it is over. Let us now move to building Nigeria. Let us now look at the plight of the masses. You know things are very difficult and hard, which is occasioned by the removal of subsidy, which is a must. I was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Petroleum Downstream. So, I know what is happening in the area. Also, the rate of the dollar is adding to the difficulties in the country.”

Private Visit

On the reason behind his visit, Marafa told newsmen that it was a private visit to Mr. President and to congratulate him on his electoral victory.

“The visit is personal, not official. So, I am not going to go in-depth into the discussion I had with my leader, my President and my father.

“First, I was in his office to congratulate him on assuming the office. As you all know I led his campaign in Zamfara State. I was the Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organization in Zamfara State. So, I am part of the success. But typical of my attitude, I don’t poke nose, I don’t become a liability.

“So, after the elections, I was in his house to congratulate him for winning, and to thank him most profoundly for singling me and some very few other people during his acceptance speech. The moment he was announced as the winner of the elections, I think my name and one other were the only Nigerians he singled out to thank for the efforts we put in making sure he won in Zamfara State.

“That was something I will never forget in my life. You do something and you are appreciated, you feel energised to do much more. So, since then, I haven’t linked up with him, and after swearing in, I felt I should give him time to settle in the office and to do the work that he has been elected by Nigerians to do,” he said.