Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the North East geopolitical zone have expressed delight at the eventual defection of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the party to the coalition platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stating that the development has provided them with the opportunity to undo the damage caused to the party by one man’s ambitious vaulting.
This is just as the conveners of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) have ramped up the machinery to ensure that the alliance was registered as a fully fledged political party in preparation for the anticipated implosion within the ADC.
A source close to the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, told The Guardian in confidence that the Bauchi State governor celebrated Atiku’s exit, stressing that the governor believes that the former Vice President’s decision to move helped to save him from the embarrassment of possible suspension or expulsion.
“You know the governor employed all manner of strategies, including representations and verbal counsel, to cease further aspiration to contest for the presidential ticket. Here in Bauchi, His Excellency told the former Vice President that age was no longer on his side, and as such, he should make way for the younger ones.
“It was obvious to the PDP governors that Atiku and the current Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, were the two people disturbing the progress of the party. I can tell you that the governors have resolved to take a disciplinary stance against the two to save PDP from final destruction,” he stated.
The source disclosed that a broader consultation among PDP leaders in the zone is underway, stating that a series of meetings has been held in Abuja and Lagos to determine how to build the structures in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, and Taraba states into a formidable fortress for the PDP.
“If nothing else, Atiku’s resignation has opened up the party for a new breed of politics. It is now that the efforts of His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed, to repair the PDP would be seen. Something will soon happen in other parties that will place PDP in a very advantageous position, particularly in the North East and South East geopolitical zones,” he added.
Chairman of PDP in Taraba State, Abubakar Bawa, had described Atiku’s exit from the party as a good omen, saying that the gale of defections across political parties has been exposing selfish politicians, adding that because of Atiku’s resignation, some state governors who wanted to leave PDP have rescinded the move.
Bawa, who said he had never recognised Atiku as a good party man, noted that for nearly 20 years the former Vice President has been changing parties to suit his political aspirations, adding, “People who are anxious always think it is only about themselves and not the party that matters.”
He said that Atiku’s insistence on holding the presidential ticket will destroy whatever party he joins, recalling that even before he returned to PDP in 2017, to look for the presidential ticket, “we gave him the ticket, now he wants to go to another party to be given ticket.”
While insisting that desperate politicians are a particularly difficult type to deal with, the Taraba State chairman stated that the PDP remains a well-established platform that does not depend on any individual.
“People are talking about merger. PDP cannot merge with any party at any given time, because we are already a well-established party with structures all over the country. So, we refuse to merge with any other party. We expect some other parties to come and merge into PDP,” he stressed.
