Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has lashed out at state governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over their stance on forming a coalition to tackle President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku alleged that the PDP governors are acting as spoilers in the move to get Tinubu out of office come 2027.
The former VP is leading a coalition of opposition figures against Tinubu, while the PDP governors, at their meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State on Monday, dissociated their party from any coalition of that kind.
However, coalition spokesman, Salihu Lukman in the statement, on Wednesday, said the coalition is a viable option to not only defeating the All Progressives Congress, APC, and President Tinubu, but also to rescue Nigeria’s democracy from imminent collapse.
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He said; “For more than 10 years that the PDP had been out of power, Nigerians had waited for the party to dust itself up and provide the viable opposition that Nigeria needs. Instead, the party went into suspended animation until the rampaging Tinubu-led APC found a willing undertaker to finally put it to rest.
“The governors know that the virus that afflicts the PDP has no cure. They are only grandstanding. They know that Nigerians cannot accept this PDP as the alternative because it is clear to all discerning Nigerians that the ruling party has hijacked its soul.
“Nyesom Wike is the untouchable super minister in Asiwaju’s government not because of the sterling job he is doing in the FCT, but because he has done a great job of ensuring that the PDP is not able to present a presidential candidate to challenge Tinubu for power in 2027. However, with the growing coalition, that mandate has been adjusted in recent weeks. The new agenda is to revive the PDP to stand as counterforce to the coalition, and present a candidate that would split the vote in 2027. This PDP Governors’ Forum is wittingly or unwittingly, playing Asiwaju’s spoiler game and they expect Nigerians to take them serious”.
Lukman said rescuing Nigerian democracy, which is about rebuilding trust between citizens and politicians is the main objective of the coalition.
According to him, the coalition has also become necessary if the integrity of political institutions, especially political parties in upholding and promoting political competitions in the country is to be restored.
He said nothing represents the sad reality of the destruction of Nigeria’s democracy than the party that ruled Nigeria for 16 years and arrogantly boasted of ruling for 60 years, the PDP.
“The mere fact that the NEC meeting of the party has not held for two years and no Nigerian can confidently tell who is really in charge of the party is evidence of this collapse. This should be the concern of leaders of the party, including its Governors.
“Unfortunately, all we have seen of the PDP Governors is the flagrant usurpation of the powers assigned to the organs of the party. This is wrong. It is also a clear demonstration that if left alone, the PDP Governors will only continue the path of destroying democratic institutions in the country.
“As it is, all patriotic Nigerians who are committed to rescuing Nigerian democracy should recognize that the challenge facing us as a nation is beyond the romantic affiliation to so-called political parties such as the PDP, with many of its leaders operating as trojan horses to the APC and President Tinubu’s government. It makes no sense to invest energy and resources in a party whose leaders are either appointees of APC Government or undercover supporters. Otherwise, how can anyone justify the way PDP and its leaders are mismanaging themselves and practically putting themselves on the path of self-destruction and political irrelevance?
“For the avoidance of doubt, the coalition, is fundamentally about rebuilding Nigerian democracy. Leaders of the coalition recognize this and more importantly recognise all the challenges ahead. Resolving these challenges and building the confidence of Nigerians is about restoring the value of political negotiations as critical and fundamental to guaranteeing the survival of democracy. Over the years, both the PDP and APC have demonstrated contempt for political negotiations and to that extend disrespected agreements in various ways.
“The survival of Nigeria and the future of democracy largely depends on how political actors seek to reverse this ugly reality. This is what leaders of the coalition have been painstakingly working on. The coalition is working hard to finalise negotiations towards unveiling the coalition, along with its structure, and programme of action for rescuing Nigeria.
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“The expectation is that all political actors, including leaders of PDP would recognise the danger facing the country and join the coalition as a necessary and perhaps strongest response towards rebuilding Nigerian democracy. This has not happened. However, even as the PDP Governors and some leaders of PDP express opposition to joining the coalition, we extend hands of fellowship to all political actors in the country to join us to rescue Nigerian democracy”, the coalition added.
BY: Alade Adisa
