Confused Man! Atiku Goes To APC Again, Says PDP Is Beyond Redemption

A former Vice-President, Alhaji  Atiku Abubakar,  on Sunday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Abubakar  said his resignation letter would be delivered to  the PDP  on Monday (today).

He also said, in a statement he personally signed, that he was joining the opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress.

The statement  came after the nationwide consultation that the former Vice-President embarked on in the last few weeks.

The consultation was as a result of the visit  of the  APC leaders to his Abuja residence  on December 18, 2013. The APC leaders had  asked him  to ditch the ruling party.

In the statement, Abubakar  listed some of the grievances he had against  the PDP to  include  the refusal of the leadership of the party  to listen to his numerous complaints.

For example, he said that in 2006, he and his supporters were pushed out of the PDP, a party   they worked tirelessly with other compatriots to build as a vehicle for  restoring democracy to our country.

But he said they later returned to  the PDP  in 2009 when a new leadership of the party promised a new direction.

Abubakar, however, regretted that this was not done.

Abubakar  said, “Sadly, however, those promises have not been kept.  In addition, the PDP continues to be beset with many crises, mostly leadership-induced crises.

“We have, therefore, concluded that that party (PDP) cannot be redeemed. In short the PDP has abandoned Nigerians, the very people who gave it life and many electoral victories.

“It has since lost touch with Nigerians and efforts made by many well-meaning members and stakeholders to bring it back to the vision of  its  founders have been rebuffed.

“To demonstrate the seriousness of the challenges and bring public attention to it,  I and some other leaders and stakeholders,  staged a walkout during the party’s last convention  on August 30.”

Those, who joined in the walkout included Governors  Aliyu Wamakko(Sokoto); Sule Lamido(Jigawa); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Aliyu Babangida(Niger); Abdulfatai Ahmed(Kwara ); Murtala Nyako(Adamawa) and Rabiu Kwakwanso(Kano).

The seven governors, except Aliyu and Lamido, have joined the APC.

In the statement on Sunday,  Abubakar said it  was also worrisome that PDP’s culture of impunity and arbitrariness posed a great challenge to the continued existence of Nigeria.

He said, “We continue to have threats from officially protected political extremists.

“Increasingly, our people are recklessly being divided along the lines of religion, ethnicity and region for political gains.  Our history and that of many other countries in Africa and Eastern Europe ought to teach us that this is very dangerous and must stop.”

Abubakar, who in  2007 dumped  the PDP for the defunct Action Congress, said it was against this background that he decided to join the APC.

 He added,  “I have been consulting my supporters and associates, my family and friends for the past few weeks.  My decision may not satisfy some of my friends and associates.

“In the end, however, I have to put the interest of our country first.  This country has done so much for me personally and it deserves all that we can do to help rebuild it and serve our people better.

“Following this extensive consultative process, I have, therefore, decided to cast my lot with the APC, a party of change committed to the improvement of the lives of our people and to the continued existence and development of Nigeria as one indivisible country.  My resignation letter as a member of the PDP will be delivered to the party tomorrow(today).”

Abubakar  defended his decision to join the APC, saying  that the struggle for democracy,  constitutionalism and service to  the country and its people  were paramount in his  mind.

He encouraged his  associates and friends to   join the APC  “so that together, we can change this country for the better.”

He  said he would do all within his God-given powers to help the APC win elections all over Nigeria and bring true change to our country and its long-suffering people.

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party was yet to be informed.

He promised that the PDP would react as soon as it was officially informed.

Expectedly, the APC expressed its happiness within the defection, saying that it was apparent that the PDP would feel the absence of the former vice-president.

The Acting Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told  our correspondent   that Abubakar would be an asset to the opposition party.

He said, “He is welcome into the progressive fold. It is apparent now that the sinking ship of the PDP is gone. Very soon, those managing the affairs of the party would know that they are alone.

“I want to appeal to well-meaning Nigerians to also borrow a leaf from those that have escaped from the sinking ship and move  to the APC.”

Meanwhile,  the  Coalition of Progressive Democrats, has hailed  Abubakar’s decision  to join the APC.

Addressing  journalists  in Abuja on Sunday, the spokesperson  for  the CPD,Chief Oladimeji Fabiy,  said the former vice-president had “nothing doing is such a dead political party like the PDP.”

Fabiyi,  who is also the National Coordinator of Turaki Vanguard, added that  the  PDP   lacked  ideas as a party that was prepared to take the nation to the next level.

He  said that the new  National Chairman of the PDP,Alhaji Adamu Muazu, was not in the position to bring any meaningful change to the troubled party.

Fabiyi said,  “Muazu is not going to be the solution to all the crises in  the PDP. The PDP  is several  miles back.”

Politics: Nobody Defected From PDP - Bamanga Tukur

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party,  Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday said he was not aware of any member of  the  PDP   defecting  to another party.

Tukur said this while  fielding questions from journalists after  meeting behind closed  doors with  the PDP Senate caucus and  the  Central Working Committee of the party.

Aggrieved members   of the PDP in the Senate  such as Bukola Saraki, Shaaba Lafiaji,  Wilson Ake, Danjuma Goje,  Ali Ndume,  Adamu Abdullahi, Magnus Abe,  Hassan Barata, Jubrin Bindo and Aishat Al-Hassan, did not attend the meeting which lasted about four hours.

 But Tukur said the meeting was silent on the reported issue of defection because it (meeting)  was  a family talk aimed at  reviewing  the activities of the party.

He said, “We did not talk about people who want to go or stay (defection) I came here because this is the first time I am coming to meet my family members; they are my members.”

Tukur  explained that  the need for the entrenchment of democracy, discipline and good governance formed the basis of his message to the senators during the meeting.

Asked if it was an earlier visit to the National Assembly by the defunct New PDP  that informed his decision to meet the senators, he   replied , “Of course not, this is PDP and there is no other PDP.”

Also asked whether he discussed  the impact of the defection of  five  PDP governors  to the All Progressives Congress, Tukur said,  “Have they defected? they have not gone yet.”

The five governors are Rotimi Amechi (Rivers); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).

Tukur, had  before  journalists were excused from the meeting,   explained that he was in the Senate to fraternise and exchange ideas with the PDP senators on how they could continue to work together as one family.

Tukur also acknowledged the challenges facing the party but said that they were  surmountable “because PDP is one family working  together towards achieving a common goal.”

The President of the Senate, David Mark,  who  led the PDP  senators to the meeting,also admitted that the party was facing some challenges.

But he said that the party was capable of addressing the issues like a family matter.

Mark  said, “We admit we have some challenges in the party . It is expected in a big party like PDP . It is not unusual. We are equal to the challenges as a party . Hopefully , we shall come out of the crisis stronger.”

He also assured the National Working Committee  of the party  that the PDP senators were united in one accord and working together to ensure that the transformation agenda was carried out to its logical conclusion .

The Senate leader, Senator Victor  Ndoma -Egba, said,  “We discussed issues affecting members of the PDP Senate Caucus and the national chairman listened attentively and responded and gave us words of reassurance.

“They are domestic issues; you don’t expect me to come and discuss domestic issues in public. They are issues that affect   the members  of the party in the Senate.”

Ndoma – Egba also said the issue of defection was not discussed at the meeting.

He said, “The issue of defection never came up and I can say it categorically  that  no senator has indicated  that he is going anywhere. So, the issue never came up.”

On automatic ticket for senators  in  2015, Ndoma-Egba said, “We discussed the provisions of the constitution and emphasised democracy.

“Our party is called Peoples Democratic Party and we reminded ourselves that we must be democratic at all times .We had a useful meeting with our national chairman.”

Credit:PUNCH.

Jonathan Not Threatened By Baraje Faction Defection - Presidency

The governors in the break-away faction are  Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa),  Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and  Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State.

Fielding questions from State House correspondents, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, said it is a good thing that those that defected have shown the world who they are and where they belong.

He said though two governors, Niger and Jigawa have disowned the defection, noting that the PDP will now be more focused and will not be distracted.

Gulak, however, said that a number of political bigwigs in the parties that formed APC have indicated interest to return to the PDP.

On the governor’s defection, Gulak said: “Well, I know as a fact that five of them say that they will now join APC, but I know two issued statements that they are not part of that, governors of Niger and of Jigawa states. If you are not aware, this is the fact on ground.

“And I believe those others, for a long time I have said it before that their hearts have not been in PDP but its good that they have shown the world that they have taken a stand so that PDP will not be distracted. A lot of people even in the APC, ACN ANPP have contacted me that they want to come back to the PDP and were just waiting for what happened today. And to us, it is a good development”., he said.

Meanwhile, a few minutes after the aggrieved governors made their position known, APC Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State  met briefly behind closed doors with Jonathan. The parley which was held inside the President’s office lasted about 20 minutes.

In the House of Representatives yesterday, reactions of the lawmakers were mixed.

Whereas some legislators hailed the move and said it would help deepen democracy , others dismissed it as an exercise that was long expected.

Chief Whip, Hon Mohammed Ishaka Bawa (PDP,Taraba)said the G7 governors had the right to join  any party they like. He said that their departure from PDP will not affect the ruling party.

He said “As the Nigerian constitution provides, they have the right to freedom of association; they have the right to launch any political party of their choice. Nobody is in PDP by force. You can decide to leave at any time you wish to.

“But what I want Nigerians to know is that PDP will continue to wax stronger despite all that is happening. This is not the first time in PDP; this is not the first time in the political development of Nigeria. I’ll like to take you back to 1983 when some progressive governors decided to leave their party; we have Nwobodo; we have Abubakar Barde, Abubakar Rimi and a host of them who left their party, but what was the result after they left?

Supporting Bawa’s views, Hon Nnanna Igbokwe(PDP,Imo) said the development will only make the ruling party to strategize and focus on things that will make it to meet the needs of the populace who he said are the ultimate decider of who should be elected into office.

But Sani Madaki(Kano,PDP)  praised the move. He noted that they will follow the governors to the new party. He said, “we’ll follow our governors; there’s no doubt about it. We can’t continue to stay and face injustice. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, and this will eventually change the leadership in the House.