The former Vice President and presidential candidate of Action Congress in the 2007 election, Atiku Abubakar said yesterday in Benin City, Edo State, that his decision to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in response to the wishes of his political associates.

Mr Abubakar, who was in Benin to felicitate with the national leader of the Action Congress and a one-time minister for foreign affairs, Tom Ikimi, on his 66 birthday, shocked millions of his supporters when he made public his intention to return to the PDP. He, however, said that his action amounts to "playing politics."

The former Vice President lost out in a power contest with his former boss, then president Olusegun Obasanjo in a doomed campaign to contest the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the PDP. He later dumped the party for the Action Congress to further his political ambition.

Mr Abubakar, in an interview with journalists at the Benin airport, however said "in the game of politics, you don't have to agree with everyone all the time."

Pressure to decamp

Ikimi's birthday attracted prominent dignitaries including the former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion and other top PDP and Action Congress politicians.

NEXT gathered that a closed door meeting between Mr Abubakar and Mr. Ikimi lasted into the early hours of Monday morning, but the details of the meeting was not disclosed as at the time of filing this report.

But a source said part of the issues discussed by the two political associates was to further mount pressure on Mr Ikimi to return to the PDP. The former minister had vowed not to return to the party even at the risk of rupturing his relationship with the Atiku group.

Desperate loser
As long as Jubril Aminu is alive,YOU'RE FINISHED POLITICALLY

rasputinn:

Desperate loser
As long as Jubril Aminu is alive,YOU'RE FINISHED POLITICALLY

Whichever way you look at it, when it comes to real politicking, Jubril Aminu is no match to Atiku