In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES,
former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,
speaks on President Goodluck Jonathan’s
eligibility to contest the 2015 presidential
election ; why he joined seven governors to
float the “New PDP”; his presidential
ambition, role in the registration of PDM and
other issues.
———————————————-
At what point did you decide to team up
with the seven governors and others to
‘make things right’ in the PDP, considering
the fact that some of them were never your
political associates and had in fact worked
against you at some point?
If you dig into the history of how the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was formed
in 1998, you will understand that one
cardinal objective of the party is to stamp
out dictatorship and executive high-
handedness in Nigeria. It was commonly
agreed upon among the founding fathers of
the party that the PDP was going to be a
political party that will operate and function
by the rules, and that decision-making in the
party would comply with democratic norms.
But along the line, and not too long after the
party won the presidential election in 1999
and also won the majority of seats in the
National Assembly, the PDP began to change
in character and in content. The change in
character had to do with the fact that some
elements in the leadership of the party
began to wield an iron fist; and the change
in content began when the PDP started to
change its own laws to gratify the desires of
a few powerful individuals in the party.
So, the effort to correct the wrongs in the
PDP didn’t just start now. And that is why I
will want to correct you on the appellation
of ‘rebel governors.’ Those of us who have
come together to champion crusades to
return the PDP to the dreams of its founding
fathers are not leading a rebellion against
the party. What we are doing is to further
strengthen the PDP and reconnect it to the
Nigerian people.
When did I join the governors? This
happened after four delegations, one after
the other, were sent to me. I did not give
them any terms or preconditions because I
believe in their sincerity or purpose.
Some say they saw this coming when some
of your associates moved to register PDM
and succeeded in doing that. Is it not safe to
conclude that you are in this to destabilize
the PDP because you now probably have an
alternative platform on which you could
realize your ambition? Or you are in this
because you are not getting fair deal from
the party as you complained recently?
Let me correct you on the two notions you
have raised here. One is that I do not have a
hand in the formation of the PDM. Absolutely
none! True, some of the people in the party
(PDM) may be my political associates; just the
same way they are political associates with
other leading members of the PDP. You will
recall that the PDM is the very back bone of
what we today have as the PDP. If some
members of the PDP feel aggrieved about
the way the party is being run and then
decide to float another party, the best I can
do is to persuade them not to go in that
direction. I do not possess the right, or even
the powers to prevent them from forming
and belonging to a political party of their
choice. The second wrong notion you raised
is to say that I am in this struggle because I
am not being fairly treated in the PDP. And
then, I should ask you: Am I the only one
who is not being fairly treated in the PDP? I
can confirm to you that over 70 per cent of
members of the PDP also feel that they are
not being fairly treated by the party. That is
why we are demanding for a change in the
way the party is run, and that is why the
actions we have been taking thus far enjoy
popular support among members of the
PDP.
With your action, haven’t you betrayed the
party leaders some of whom facilitated the
waiver granted you only two years ago?
www.premiumtimesng.com/news/145185-exclusive-interview-lured-baraje-led-pdp-faction-atiku.html

[size=15pt]Ok

Atiku, whether you were lured, deceived or cajoled into joining Baraje-led faction or not, all I want to wish you is:

Good luck till 2019[/size]

Atiku does not have the credentials to critise any body.........

J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019

[/color]J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019



[color=#990000]J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019



J O N A till 2019

u cant fight the president and win. Its nw clear. I case ma rest

SO PATIENCE IS ALL IT TAKES

The title is misleading.
But an interesting read though.

Dis Atiku no dey taya to run for office? Funny thing is he gets the same result all the time. This man is a born loser like Buhari.

Shine It: Dis Atiku no dey taya to run for office? Funny thing is he gets the same result all the time. This man is a born loser like Buhari.

God bless u!

wazobia55: SO PATIENCE IS ALL IT TAKES

Yes, Patience indeed but who has the patience? Na GEJ.

Continuity till 2019