By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
Some key members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have expressed disappointment at the party, saying that it (the party) cannot liberate Nigeria from the problem inflicted on it by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The factional PDP said this on Tuesday after a crucial meeting in Abuja.
Members of the Atiku-led faction, which met at the Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja for hours and have not yet renounced their membership of the PDP, but regretted that PDP which is an organic party with the discipline, capacity, and history to lead and save Nigeria, is now a shadow of its old self.
Other members of the group included former President of the Senate, David Mark, former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, former Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi and Senator Abdul Ningi.
Also in attendance at the meeting were; Senator Ben Obi, former PDP National Women Leader Mrs Josephine Anenih, former National Organising Secretary, Senator Austin Akobundu, ex-National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, and former National Youth Leader Abdullahi Maibasira, among others.
The factional party leaders in a communique at the end of their meeting, noted “the inability of PDP leadership to lead the party by its Constitution, rules and regulations led it into a chaotic and undisciplined Party!”
Senator Mark, who read the communique, said “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.”
The Atiku-led group stated that Nigeria is now a diminished country and an embarrassment on the world stage.
The group added that the heatwave unleashed by the APC-led Federal Government, through threats, blackmail and patronage, has forced elected officers in government to abandon the PDP.
According to the communique, “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.
“All indices of development that support the comfort and quality of lives of the citizens have collapsed, and life is now hell in Nigeria”, it said.
It disclosed that the meeting took time to deliberate deeply on the issues of democracy, national unity, national security, economy, corruption, governance, and other concerns plaguing the country, and “encourages all well-meaning PDP members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition.
Continuing, the communique said, “The coalition partners to work out the modalities of winning all elections taking into consideration local and national peculiarities.
“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.”
Although no party was mentioned as coalition platform, a competent source hinted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been adopted.
According to the source, “The party will be announced this (Tuesday) night”.
END
