Presidency Ecstatic over Atiku's Defection

Atiku Abubakar

•   Former VP: I didn’t join opposition to contest for presidency

By Chuks Okocha  , John Shiklam   and Daji Sani 

It was all jubilation Monday at the State House, Abuja, among senior officials of the presidency as they absorbed the news of the defection of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, Atiku has been at pains to explain that he did not join the opposition APC due to his quest for the presidency in 2015, saying he had joined the party to nurture it and ensure that good governance is entrenched in the country.

THISDAY gathered that senior presidency officials said to be close to President Goodluck Jonathan expressed joy over the news that Atiku submitted his letter resigning his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Adamawa State chairman of the party in Jada II, Jada Local Government Area of the state.

The letter was also copied to the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.
In his resignation letter obtained by THISDAY, the former vice-president wrote: “I write to formally inform you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) effective February 3, 2014. The attached press statement that was issued today outlines my reasons for resigning from the PDP.”

Reacting, a senior presidency official told THISDAY that Atiku’s departure was good riddance to an ambitious man, adding, “It is a sigh of relief. We are indeed relieved over his resignation. With Atiku out of the way, the presidential ticket is for President Jonathan for the asking.

“We saw him as a pain in our neck as far as the presidential primary election of the PDP is concerned. But thank God, he is no more with us. Let him go.”

A top member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP also expressed his delight over Atiku’s defection, saying: “Gradually, the troublemakers are going one by one and we will now sit down and restructure PDP and reposition it for the 2015 general election.

“You cannot go to war with a divided house and it is our expectation that with Atiku out, let the APC see what we have been tolerating for a long time.”

When THISDAY contacted the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, for his comments, his phone was switched off.

The Adamawa State chapter of the party, nonetheless, said the former vice-president’s defection to APC would have no effect on the fortunes of the PDP.

A PDP stakeholder in the state, Dr. Omar Ardo, in a statement, said: “Given the dynamics of Adamawa State politics, today and in the foreseeable future, the convergence of Nyako and Atiku in the APC cannot upstage the strong support base of the PDP in the state.

“I can confidently say on behalf of the Adamawa State PDP stakeholders and elders forum that the PDP in Adamawa is not at all intimidated by the defection of the former vice-president to the APC. As far as we are concerned, in this state, PDP dey kampe!”

Despite the satisfaction expressed by the presidency and PDP, the former vice-president yesterday explained that he did not join APC to run for the presidency in 2015 but to nurture the opposition party and ensure that good governance is entrenched in Nigeria come 2015.

Atiku, who spoke in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service monitored in Kaduna yesterday, maintained that if it were because of his presidential ambition, he had clear chances of occupying the number one seat when he was in office with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, or even recently when he was in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), but he let that go in the interest of the nation.
Atiku vowed that he would never return to the PDP, saying from all indications, the party would no longer be what it used to be.

He said the PDP was a party they had built and nurtured, regretting that it was unfortunate that some people had turned the party into something else. The party, he added, had continued to disappoint Nigerians and with no remedy in sight.

Also during a rally organised by the Adamawa State chapter of the APC to welcome him to the party, the former vice-president said the end of PDP would come in 2015 as the people had declared war against it for the deluge of impunity it had wrought on the people.

He said PDP was living on a borrowed time, as the people whom he consulted with during his tour to many states across Nigeria had notified him of their readiness to send the party packing come 2015 for the surfeit and unpardonable atrocities it had committed against Nigeria.

On the issue of his presidential ambition, he said it was not yet time to make any pronouncement to Adamawa people and Nigerians at large, adding that it was premature to make such statements now.

The interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, thanked the people of Adamawa for their support, saying the party faithful should avail themselves of the opportunity to register with the party which would start tomorrow. He also encouraged them to report any problem encountered during the registration exercise.

Also speaking, the former Governor of Bayelsa State Timipre Sylva apologised on behalf of the Niger Delta people to Nigerians for bringing Jonathan to power in 2011.
“I was here with other governors in 2011 to pray for the North to vote for our son. I am here again on behalf of the people of the South-south to apologise to you for the misgovernance wrought on you by our son.

“I am here to apologise to the people of Adamawa because our son whom you voted for has not performed and the country is fast sinking under his misrule.
“Niger Deltans have sent me to tell you that we are ready to join hands with you to chase out this regime of impunity promoted by our son. We will join hands with you to salvage our great country,” Sylva said.

In his remarks, a leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinibu, said the party was on a rescue mission in the country, adding that the coming of Atiku into its fold was a manifestation that the party would surely send the PDP packing come 2015.
“I welcome my friend Atiku Abubakar back home to the house which he contributed in building,” he said.

He added that with Atiku’s defection to APC, he was sure that the "Poverty Development Party” was on the brink of death.

“We assure Nigerians that come 2015, we will bury the filth, the deceased ‘Poverty Development Party’ very soon, we shall celebrate our successes so that we can rebuild Nigeria together,” he said