Buhari’s chances of flying APC flag slim -Ex-CPC chairman

The founding National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, Senator Rufai Hanga, has said the chances of a former head of State, Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), flying the flag of the All Progressives Congress in 2015 are slim. Hanga said this in an interview with reporters in Abuja, on Tuesday.

He explained that intrigues within the opposition party were likely to frustrate the presidential ambition of Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as well as Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Hanga, who was removed from the CPC’s leadership in controversial circumstances, said his investigations currently revealed that Buhari appeared to be losing ground to Kwankwaso in the North West.

He said, “I can tell you that Buhari did not move to APC with the genuine CPC structure. All that CPC structure is with us and we went with it into the PYM.

“And that is why when we decided to put a stop to our relationship with the PDM, more than 15, 000 members brought back their membership cards and dumped the party.

“Unfortunately, I am not happy about it, but that is why Buhari is in deep trouble because he did not move to the APC with the real CPC structure. It is a naked fact that Buhari is greatly disadvantaged and no matter what anybody says, he will not win under a free and fair primary.”

The former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct CPC, who is now a member of the APC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, however, expressed optimism that the retired general would emerge victorious.

Fashakin said, “At the risk of sounding immodest, General Buhari is the only living Nigerian who poses the greatest threat to President (Goodluck) Jonathan’s ambition to rule Nigeria beyond 2015.

He described Hanger as a political scavenger, who is trying to pontificate on the affairs of a family he is not a member of.

Fashakin said, “He is not a member of the APC. He was used by the PDP to sabotage us. He was the interim chairman of our then party, he is a bitter man.

“Hanger has no stake in the APC; as such, he cannot dictate to our party or members of our former platform.”