Former Vice President, Alhaji  Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday finally declared his intention to join the All Progressives Congress.

In a statement, which he personally signed, Abubakar said his decision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC was taken after extensive consultation.

He said: “Following this extensive consultative process, I have, therefore, decided to cast my lot with the APC, a party of change committed to the improvement of the lives of our people and to the continued existence and development of Nigeria as one indivisible country.  My resignation letter as a member of the PDP will be delivered to the party tomorrow (Monday).”

Abubakar, a founding member of the PDP, had complained that he had been sidelined in the activities of the party.

He said since his return to the party after the 2011 elections when he contested for the presidency on the platform of the Action Congress, the party had refused to invite him to its meetings.

He said as a former vice president, he was statutorily a member of the party’s National Executive Committee and its Board of Trustees but that he had not been invited to any of the meeting.

In the heat of the crisis in the PDP, Abubakar led a walkout at the Special National Convention of the PDP alongside with seven governors elected on the platform of the party.

Five of the governors have since defected to the APC.

The five governor who have defected Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State.

Abubakar thus said on Sunday that his movement to the APC was a step in the right direction.

He said: “This is the right decision. As 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. Let me emphasize 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.”

Abubakar encourage his associates and friends to register with the APC once the exercise commences.

He said that remains the only way to change Nigeria.

The full text of his statement titled: “After consultation, it it time to move to APC. Let the bridge building continue,: reads:

“In 2006, as a result of my firm stand in defence of our constitution and our democracy, my supporters and I were pushed out of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, a party that we worked tirelessly with other compatriots to build as a vehicle to restore democracy to our country.  We later returned to that party in 2009 when a new leadership of the party and the country promised a new direction, a direction of inclusiveness, of internal democracy, of an end to impunity, adherence to the rule of law and respect for the dignity of members and Nigerians.

“Sadly, however, those promises have not been kept. In addition, the PDP continues to be beset with many crises, mostly leadership-induced crises.  It has since lost touch with Nigerians and efforts made by many well-meaning members and stakeholders to bring it back to the vision of the founders have been rebuffed.  To demonstrate the seriousness of the challenges and bring public attention to it I and some other leaders and stakeholders staged a walkout during the party’s last convention in Abuja.

“As I speak, most of the issues that led to that walk-out are yet to be addressed.  Many founding members of the PDP, I included, continue to be marginalized and excluded from the affairs of the party. For instance as a former Vice President, I am by virtue of the PDP constitution, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees and its National Executive Committee.  However, I am not invited to the meetings of those organs nor consulted on their decisions, apparently because I dared to exercise my right to contest in the party’s primary election for a chance to be its flag-bearer in the 2011 elections.  We have, therefore, concluded that that party cannot be redeemed. In short the PDP has abandoned Nigerians, the very people who gave it life and many electoral victories.


Source: Sun