2023: Atiku’s candidature will amount to defeat for PDP – Group

*Advises former Vice President not to waste PDP ticket

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

A pressure group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the PDP Action 2023 has once again admonished former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to shelve his ambition to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the party.

The group submitted that to give Alhaji Atiku Abubakar another chance as PDP presidential candidate is to ensure a clear defeat for PDP in 2023.

Recall that Atiku was PDP candidate in the 2019 presidential poll in which he lost to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Chairman of the Group, Hon. (Dr.) Rufus Omeire in a statement on Wednesday reiterated the call on Atiku to allow the PDP present another candidate who stand a better chance of winning the 2023 presidential election.

Omeire faulted the Adamawa born politician for having personal interest rather than the interest of the entire party which explain his abandoning the PDP since he lost the last election.

The group accused Atiku of relocating to the United Arab Emirates while the party battles the multi – faceted misrule and misgovernance of the APC led administration.

He was equally accused of not playing significant role in mediating in the crisis that led to the court suspension of Prince Uche Secondus as National Chairman of the party.

The statement read” In our last Press Statement, we frowned at Alh. Atiku for abandoning PDP members by running away to live in Dubai, after the elections, shielding himself from PDP members, only for him to re-surface now that the Presidential primaries are at hand.

“In his response, we are surprised Alh. Atiku claimed that his absence from Nigeria for so long was to acquire a Degree from Cambridge University.

“On the contrary, the entire country is aware that he relocated to Dubai, where he even had his highly advertised COVID Vaccination even before the vaccine was available to ordinary Nigerians.

“It is disingenuous for Atiku to claim that he was in school in Cambridge, London when he actually lived in Dubai.

“If he enrolled in University of Cambridge, for a part time course, he could have as well done the programme from Nigeria. He should come clean with the truth, apologise to PDP faithful for letting them down and step aside. He will be better playing a role as elder statesmen as we earlier suggested.

“What is more, he is on record to have boasted during the 2018 Presidential primaries, that he was the only candidate with the financial muscle and otherwise, to face President Buhari and defeat him. Alas, he wasted the ticket of PDP. He mismanaged and dashed the trust, hopes and votes of PDP members and Nigerians”.

Analysing Atiku’s performance in the 2019 presidential election, the group said “He lost in all the North West States, lost in 4 of the 6 North East States where he hails from, lost in virtually all the South-West and North Central States and managed to eke out a slim victory in South East and South South States. In fact he won in his home state of Adamawa with only 32,000 votes!.

“It is not the culture in the North and Nigerians to vote for very wealthy business men to lead. Examples abound. Sir Ahmadu Bello, Alh. Tafawa Balewa, Shehu Shagari and Umaru Musa Yar’adua , Olusegun Obasanjo. These are not men of financial wealth. They are simple, honest and decent Nigerians who deserved the support of Northerners and Nigerians, with the singular exception of Buhari who, though, not a man of wealth, is however, a basket case as a President”

Summarizing why Atiku should quit the stage, the PDP Action 2023 said ” It is time for PDP to begin the search for another acceptable candidate. A candidate that projects incorruptibility, honesty, simplicity, capacity, accessibility and ability to govern. A candidate that will not abandon the masses.

“A candidate that will unite Nigeria, solve the security challenges, restore peace in the land and take the country to greater economic heights. Nigerians are waiting and looking up to PDP. Bottom line, PDP must shine their eyes this time around to ensure victory at the pools. PDP Action 2023 will help ensure that this happens”.