Atiku dismisses APC defection rumors, pushes for coalition to reclaim Nigeria

Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has refuted claims that he is planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reaffirming his commitment to the PDP and advocating for a broad coalition to challenge the APC-led government in the 2027 elections.

Atiku made these assurances during a meeting with women members of the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT), who visited him to discuss strategies for rescuing the party from its current state of crisis.

He emphasized that the proposed coalition was not merely a political maneuver but a necessity for rebuilding the nation.

National Daily Newspaper gathered that Atiku expressed his deep passion for the PDP and highlighted the historical precedent of successful political alliances, citing the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) accord during the Second Republic.

He assured the women that the coalition would not necessitate a change in the PDP’s name.

He also provided updates on the pan-Nigerian coalition he is building with other political leaders and stakeholders from across the country, emphasizing that the movement is driven by Nigerians’ desire to reclaim and rebuild their nation.

Hajia Inna Ciroma, the former Minister of Women Affairs and leader of the PDP women BoT delegation, explained the purpose of their visit.

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“We, as PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, members, the conscience of the party, decided to take this bold decision to come into the crisis the party is going through.”

Ciroma expressed deep concern about the party’s current state, stating, “We, as mothers, are worried and disturbed by what the party is going through at the moment. We are disturbed that the party has no leadership and any organisation without leadership cannot stand, we are worried and disturbed. We cannot fold our arms and see things go bad in our great party.”

“We decided to visit former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to complain about what we are not happy with, to brainstorm with him on the way forward, on how to save the party from total collapse. We told him there must be leadership and direction in the party. We had very fruitful discussions with the 2023 presidential candidate of the party,” Ciroma said.

She added that Atiku assured them of his unwavering commitment to the PDP and discussed the importance of the coalition.

They also discussed the issue of party funding, emphasizing the need for robust funding mechanisms to prevent undue influence by any single individual.