Atiku disowns 120 groups aligning with Jonathan

Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president and chieftain of the All progressives Congress (APC), has denied knowledge of the groups of politicians who announced their defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the APC on Tuesday.

The former vice-president said in a statement by his media office in Abuja that he remains a committed member of the APC, and advised the public to discountenance the “purported defections”.

Some 120 claiming to be Atiku’s supporters formally left APC for PDP, saying their political leader had been maltreated and apart from him, there was no viable alternative to Jonathan.

According to Peter Ogar, coordinator of the groups, the PDP had more promises and opportunities for the youth of the country, hence the need to support the party in the 2015 general election.

Uche Secondus, PDP deputy national chairman, who welcomed the groups into the ruling party, assured them that their interests would be protected, and urged them to participate in the party’s campaigns.

Also speaking, Rufai Alkali, special adviser to the president on political affairs, said he was optimistic that Atiku would leave the APC for the PDP soon.

“Atiku is a PDP man to the core but he has gone on vacation and I believe one day he too will come back to the party,” he said.

“My only prayer is that he comes back before the general election this year so that he can support Mr. President fully to ensure our success.”

Atiku has often stated that his commitment to the APC and the success of its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of the party in the 2015 general election, is unwavering and not up for bargaining.

“I remain irrevocably committed to the APC, as I promised in my concession speech at the conclusion of our party’s presidential primaries, and I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the victory of Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of our great party at the general election,” he said in a statement on March 10.