A former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Monday declared that the days of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are numbered, saying despite the resignation of Bamanga Tukur as national chairman of the party, its troubles are far from over.
Atiku also pointed out that the current peace moves initiated by the new chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu, would not achieve any meaningful result.
The former Vice President, who spoke in an interview with a Kaduna-based private radio station, Liberty FM, also affirmed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan re-echoed some of his views on how the latter is managing the affairs of the country.
“I don’t think the end of PDP’s trouble is over with Bamanga Tukur’s ousted,” he told his interviewer. “I don’t think so; the troubles of the PDP are yet to come. I don’t think Bamanga is the trouble, I don’t think Bamanga is the issue”.
In apparent reference to his agreement with Obasanjo over Jonathan’s administration, Atiku explained, “We don’t consult with Obasanjo, but the striking thing I want you to reflect upon is, read my convention address, read President Obasanjo’s letter. In fact there are very striking similarities, the only thing is that I foresaw what is happening before him, that is just the difference but basically my convention speech and the letter Obasanjo wrote to President Jonathan have very striking similarity”.
On the emergence of Muazu as PDP chairman, the former VP had this to say: “Before he picked up the job, he came to me and told me that he wanted the job and I told him that if he picked the job, he cannot change anything”.
When he was asked whether the PDP that has vowed to rule for the next 60 years now have their days numbered, Atiku responded in the affirmative saying “definitely.”
On the difference between PDP and All Progressives Congress, Atiku explained, “The PDP represents the conservative wing of the electoral divide, the APC represents the social democratic [wing] of our political divide”.
On his political bearing following the attempt by APC leaders to woo him to join their party, he said, “Let me conclude consultations I am undertaking and I will let you know”, he said, denying sponsorship of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).
Atiku stressed that President Jonathan has never consulted him over the problems in the PDP. When asked if he would assist the new PDP Chairman, as a founding member of the party if he was requested to do so, the Turakin Adamawa said “no problem”.
He also pointed out that he never dumped the PDP, but that he was ‘pushed out’ by Obasanjo.
His words: “First of all, I did not leave the PDP, I was pushed out of the PDP by my former boss. Ever since I returned four years ago, PDP has not communicated to me and I have not communicated to PDP. I have not attended any of their meetings and they have not invited me”.
Speaking on the 2015 elections, Atiku said he and former military head of state, General Muhammad Buhari (rtd) had shared their concerns and came to the conclusion that they had not seen the country in such a crisis since the civil war, describing the situation as “grim”.
According to him, “It is no longer about ambition but about Nigeria. We have got to a stage when you have an ambition if the environment permits. The environment does not even permit that. So you have to restore normalcy into the environment first before you begin to think about ambition. This is because if you allow your ambition to override it, you will find that you don’t even exist. I and Buhari have never seen things as bad. It’s really serious”.
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