Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate in the 2023; election has opted to lead yet another breakaway group from the party to join the ongoing coalition.
The coalition is currently being driven by Nasir El- Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, with notable figures such as Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers state.
Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party LP, has also attended the meeting, even as it is not clear of he also will collapse his Obedient group in the Labour party into the coalition.
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The group which met in Abuja on Tuesday, under the auspice of Concerned Leaders of PDP” was, according to them “called to discuss the disturbing condition the Party has sunk into.”
In a communique at the end of the meeting, the meeting which was Chaired by David Mark, a former Senate President, said they have decided to join “the coalition”.
The group traces the current challenges of the party to the exit of Iyorchia Ayu and the loss of the 2023 presidential election
” Since the loss in the last presidential election and the exit of Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman, our dear Party has never been the same again.
The group also blamed ” vested interests from within and the irresponsible actions of the APC led federal government which has been using State Institutions to stifle and destroy the Democracy knows no bounds!”
The group also noted that the inability of PDP leadership to lead the Party by its Constitution, rules and regulations led it into a chaotic and undisciplined Party!
“The vision of the founding Fathers for which the Party was established and the role it played in restoring Nigeria as stable and united country and key player on the regional, continental, and global stage has been washed away just as our roles as the leader of the black race is now overtaken by smaller and less endowed countries.
“Painfully, Nigeria is now a diminished country and an embarrassment on the world stage!”
The group said they took time to deliberate deeply on the issues of democracy, national unity, national security, economy, corruption, governance, and other concerns plaguing our country.
“Arising from the above, the meeting hereby resolved as follows that
“The APC government, which came into being on the false and evil propaganda, to save Nigeria from PDP is now a disaster to our nation and therefore must be voted out of power.
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“All indices of development that support the comfort and quality of lives of the citizens have collapsed, and life is now hell in Nigeria
” The PDP, which is organic with the discipline, capacity, and history to lead and save Nigeria, is now a shadow of its old self. The heatwave unleashed by the APC Federal government through threats, blackmail and patronage has forced elected officers in government to abandon the PDP.”
The group resolved to ” encourage all well-meaning PDP Members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition.
“All coalition partners must be united on the issues of NATIONAL UNITY, DEMOCRACY, NATIONAL SECURITY, NATIONAL ECONOMY, and the political will to stamp out corruption embedded in our institutions.
” The coalition partners to work out the modalities of winning all elections taking into consideration local and national peculiarities”
BusinessDay checks show that most of those attending the meeting were absent at the party’s 100th National Executive Committee NEC, meeting where Samuel Anyanwu was returned as the party’s National Secretary on Monday.
The meeting was Chaired by David Mark, who was recently named amongst those promoting All Democratic Alliance ADA.
Mark was a former Senate President and a member of the PDP Board of Trustees BoT.
Others include Uche Seconds, a former PDP National Chairman,.
Former Governors, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Sam Egwu (Ebonyi) are also attending the meeting.
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Others include Ben Obi, Josephine Anenih, former PDP National Women Leader, former National Organising Secretary Austin Akobundu, ex-National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, and former National Youth Leader Abdullahi Maibasira, among others.
Recall that in 2013, Atiku Abubakar had led a group comprising the Governors of Rivers, Adamawa, Niger, amongst others to join the President Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu to form the APC.
He later abandoned the party in 2019 to contest the PDP Presidential election and lost to President Buhari
In 2023, he also contested the presidential election as the PDP candidate and lost.
