The statement by the presidency on Sunday that former Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is ‘indebted’ to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and can only repay his debts by protecting the party has elicited the response of the former Vice President, who said he is already acting on the call.
Atiku was reacting to President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak’s criticism of his involvement in the formation of a splinter PDP.
“I was surprised because Atiku is supposed to know more than another person that there is no party like PDP. He left PDP and went to ACN and he came back to PDP, because he discovered that outside PDP there is no party, so he had to come back and he was even given the waiver to contest the primaries election in 2011,” Mr. Gulak said.
The presidential aide added that “Atiku should be grateful to PDP. Atiku is indebted to PDP and the best way to continue to pay the debt is to protect PDP.”
Speaking through his media aide, Garba Shehu, Atiku admitted his indebtedness to the PDP, adding that his action on Saturday – to stage a walk-out and lead the formation of a parallel executive of PDP – was part of his plans to protect the party.
“That is exactly what I am doing: Protecting the PDP,” the former vice president said.
Meanwhile, the Abubakar Kawu-Baraje-led faction on Monday filed a case before a Lagos High Court asking the court to restrain Bamanga Tukur and other members of the party’s National Working Committee from parading themselves as members of the party’s EXCO.
