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.”
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