There are indications that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has resigned to his fate and is poised to embark on the 2023 campaign without the support of the aggrieved camp led by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.
This followeds the outcome of a meeting between the Board of Trustees (BoT) leadership of the party and Atiku after the former had met with Wike in Port Harcourt.
Sources in Atiku’s camp told LEADERSHIP Sunday that after being briefed on the outcome of the BoT meeting with Wike, the former vice president noted that he has left all to God, adding however that effort at convincing Wike and others to support his campaign should continue.
A source at the meeting between the BoT and Wike confided in this paper that the Rivers State governor refused to shift ground on his insistence that Ayu must resign.
He was said to have told the BoT to, as fathers of the party, lean on Ayu to step aside so that a southerner can assume the position of national chairman of the party.
It was further learnt that Wike opened up on more reasons why the national chairman should go.
Recall that the acting chairman of the PDP BoT and former Senate president, Adolphus Wabara, had embarked on a reconciliatory mission within the party.
The Wike group, which includes four other governors and some founding fathers of the party, had pulled out of the party’s presidential campaign council, insisting that Ayu must resign and allow for geo-political balancing between the party’s presidential candidate of northern extraction and the party’s chairman of southern extraction for balancing.
Ayu however rejected calls for his resignation, just as the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), the second highest decision making organ of the party, passed a vote of confidence on him.
Atiku had argued that he cannot single handedly ask Ayu to resign, adding however that the resignation of the national chairman must follow the party’s constitution.
However, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that Wabara who met Atiku after the BoT meeting with Wike briefed the presidential candidate on the outcome of the meeting with Wike.
It was learnt that after being briefed by Wabara, Atiku noted that he has left all to God’s hands, adding that the party has to move on with the campaign, while the party leaders continue to appeal to the Wike camp.
The party is set to commence campaigns on Monday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
In a related development, the embattled national chairman, Ayu, has intensified his lobbying of party leaders over the moves to remove him from office.
It was learnt that his recent meeting with the forum of ex-officio members of the party last week was part of his counter moves to resist attempts to sack him office by the Wike camp.
Nevertheless, the PDP yesterday declared that it is set to commence campaigns on Monday in Uyo.
The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, who stated this during a press conference in Abuja, said PDP will take its campaign to all the states, local government areas, wards and polling units across the country under the Unified Campaign Structure as approved by NEC of the party.
He said, “Our Campaign will be people-driven and focused on PDP and H.E. Atiku Abubakar’s mission to Rescue, Rebuild and Redirect our nation from the abysmal misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
“From our consultations across the six geo-political zones of the country, it is clear that Nigerians across board, irrespective of religion, ethnicity and even political affiliations accept the PDP Presidential Candidate, H.E. Atiku Abubakar as the best Candidate with the practical experience, capacity, broad-mindedness and willpower to Unite our nation, Revamp our national economy, and guarantee security of lives and property in our country.”
Listing the basis on which the party will project Atiku’s candidacy, he said Atiku was vice president to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and was the chairman of the National Economic Council.
Ologunagba continued: “During that period, our nation achieved unprecedented national productivity; Secured $30bn overall debt relief from the Paris and London Clubs.
“Nigeria’s economy was revamped to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a stable exchange rate.
“Foreign reserves rose from $2bn in 1999 to $43bn in 2007; Power generation rose from average daily generation capacity of 1,800mw in 1999 to 4,000 mw in 2007.
“Our country witnessed the liberalization of the telecommunication industry and the advent of GSM and Internet facilities in Nigeria; Our country also witnessed a boost in private Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria
“More Nigerians opened investments in sectors hitherto controlled by foreigners including in the downstream and upstream petroleum sectors.
“Owing to the conducive economic environment, there was increase in Foreign Direct Investment and more Nigerians in the Diaspora returned to establish businesses in the country
“Expanded and consolidated the Nigerian banking industry to make it operate and participate effectively in global banking businesses.
“Nigeria achieved one of the most profitable Stock Markets in the world with an average Return on Investment of over 31%
“Our nation also achieved a consolidated Pension System both in the private and public sectors. (The APC has been seeking to siphon money from that Fund).
“Under Atiku Abubakar as coordinator of the economy, Nigeria achieved economic rebound after military rule. Today Nigeria and Nigerians need Atiku Abubakar to achieve a rebound after the misrule of the APC.”
Ologunagba however said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate Bola Tinubu that they have nothing to offer to Nigerians.
He also said the APC has become prostrate, handicapped and incapacitated to campaign as it has no legally valid candidate for the 2023 general elections.
Ologunagba cited the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, September 30, 2022 which nullified the candidature of Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the July 16 2022 Osun State Governorship election on the ground that his nomination was invalid, having been conducted and submitted by Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, in violation of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
He further recalled that the PDP had on February 22, 2022 and March 8, 2022 cautioned that APC has become “legally defunct, structurally crippled and no longer a legitimate and valid vehicle to field candidates for elections under our laws” with its foisting of an illegal and unconstitutional leadership.
He however told Tinubu to go home and face the issues of inconsistencies in his educational qualifications, name, ancestry, age as well as corruption allegations.
Ologunagba, who declared that PDP will officially flag off its 2023 Presidential Election Campaign on Monday, October 10, 2022 in Uyo Akwa-Ibom State Capital, said the party is fully prepared for an issue-based campaign and their Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, H.E. Ifeanyi Okowa are fully “Articulated” for the campaign.
He said “The PDP had cautioned all aspirants in the APC then “not waste their resources, time and energy in the APC as they will be on a journey to nowhere. Today, the chicken has finally come home to roost.
“As you are aware, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, September 30, 2022 nullified the candidature of Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the July 16 2022 Osun State Governorship election on the ground that his nomination was invalid, having been conducted and submitted by Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, in violation of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“ For emphasis, Section 183 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides that a state governor “shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever”.
“ This judgment reaffirms the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case of Jegede vs INEC that a violation of any provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) particularly as it relates to Section 183 portend grave consequences.
“The import of the September 30, 2022 judgment of the Federal High Court is that every decision made by Governor Mai Mala Buni as Chairman of the APC is null and void as you cannot place something on nothing and expect it to stand.
“Consequently, the Congresses as well as the National Convention which produced APC Excos including the Sen. Adamu Abdullahi-led NWC are void.
“In effect the primaries and Presidential Convention conducted by the Sen. Adamu Abdullahi-led NWC, including the nomination of Sen. Ahmed Bola Tinubu as Presidential Candidate of the APC is invalid, null and void ab-initio.
“In any case, the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nothing to offer being the architect of the woes, calamities and life-discounting experiences faced by Nigerians in the last seven and half years.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should go home and face the issues of inconsistencies in his educational qualifications, name, ancestry, age as well as corruption allegations.”
2023: APC has no plan for Nigeria – Aniagwu
Corroborating, PDP presidential campaign spokesman, Charles Aniagwu, said APC had no plan to better the lots of Nigerians.
He said that in the past seven years, the ruling party had continued to mismanage the nation’s diversity, economy, education, and security architecture.
Speaking on the “Morning Show” on Arise Television, Aniagwu said the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar would energise the country’s private sector to drive the nation’s economy to provide jobs for the people.
While reacting to allegations by Lai Mohammed that PDP copied from what the APC was doing, Aniagwu said the APC had no single plan to copy from, adding that Atiku had long prepared his policy document titled “My Covenant With Nigerians”.
According to him, the APC has no single plan to develop this country, if they had any how have they executed those plans?
“If they had a plan, Nigeria would not be where we are today, because they would have known that it was important to manage our diversity, so that everybody is well taken care of.
“Nigerians helped them into power in 2015 and they left them behind after failing to fulfill all their campaign promises.
“Atiku’s plan for Nigeria is generic and it rests on the fact that our Presidential candidate and his running mate governor Ifeanyi Okowa understand what the issues are.
“Atiku didn’t just wake up to declare for President, he has been preparing for this over time and he is adequately apprised with what it takes to indeed rescue and rebuild Nigeria,” he said.
Aniagwu who is also Delta State Commissioner for Information said only Atiku was prepared to lead as other candidates weren’t ready with their plans.
“Each time you ask other presidential candidates they will tell you that they will soon come up with their manifesto and that tells you that they are not prepared for the task ahead.
“Nigeria is currently at an intensive care unit and does not require a leader who is not adequately prepared to lead her out of its present challenges,” Aniagwu added.
He said the party’s plan rests on the clear understanding of the issues of mismanagement of the nation’s diversity, insecurity, economy and unemployment among others.
“Because of the failure of the APC government to understand the diversity of Nigeria they have poorly mismanaged this diversity making Nigerians to be at war with each other.
“Atiku says he is coming to ensure that this war ceases by ensuring that all ethnic groups are on the table to discuss issues as they affect their people and this brings confidence.
“Atiku is prepared to unite Nigerians because most of the challenges in the economy, security and unemployment are symptomatic of the very poor management of our diversity.”
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