Come With Me To APC, Atiku Urges Supporters

By SaharaReporters, New York

Erstwhile Vice President and new darling of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has urged all his supporters and loyalists in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties or associations to immediately register with the opposition party.


In a personally-signed statement released by his media office on Friday, he implored all his supporters to move to a common platform to accelerate the much-needed change in Nigeria’s democratic direction.

“The imperative of change demands a united front and voice. Instead of being on the fence, all my supporters should not hesitate to register with APC in order to be part of the historic movement towards revitalising our democracy by making it more results-oriented”, he said.

“For my supporters to be part of the much-needed change, they must register massively, as participation is the vehicle to influencing change in every society”.
Atiku left PDP in 2006 for the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), but he returned three years later. He again exited the ruling party on 2nd February 2014, citing the party’s failure to abide by the reform programmes it promised, as well as the plan of its leaders to constantly overlook him.
“Over these years since I returned, the PDP hasn't invited me to any party functions. Even as a statutory BOT member. Even after walking out of the special convention to force changes, the party never contacted me. Not once. PDP doesn't want change. I have also been kept out of NEC meetings and locked out of its caucus”, had written on his page on social networking site, Twitter.
“Like in 2006, it is the struggle for democracy and constitutionalism and service to my country and my people that are driving my choice and my decision [to defect]. Let me emphasise that this is not about me. We have to have a country before people can aspire to lead it, but as it is today we may be losing this country. That is not acceptable”.
But PDP replied him the following day through its deputy national chairman, Uche Secondus, who described the former VP’s latest defection as a voyage that would end in no time.
“The good thing is that the PDP is so consistent and constant that when they leave, they go on a voyage and they come back and we receive them” Secondus had said.
“I can tell you that they will go and come back and we are waiting for Atiku to go on this voyage and to come back. He has done it before. This is not the first time, and we will welcome him back when he comes because APC cannot win [any] election. They are not firmly rooted”.