The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Walid Jibrin, has cleared the coast for the return of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the party.
Jibrin, in Kaduna, remarked that the treatment given to the former vice president in the All Progressives Congress (APC), is sufficient for him to dump the ruling party and return to the PDP in the build up to 2019.
The BoT Chairman admitted that the opposition PDP is ready for Atiku’s return which is being reported over time; adding that the Party would warmly accept Atiku and his supporters back to the PDP fold.
Jirbin, however, stated that Atiku would be prepared to fight for the PDP presidential ticket with other aspirants, maintaining that there will be no automatic ticket former Atiku to contest the 2019 presidential election
The BoT Chairman observed that Northern leaders met in Abuja and indicated their support for any presidential candidate from the North.
“We are ready to accept him to our party but he should be ready to work for a waiver.
“The North met in Abuja to say that any candidate from the North can contest. Let us get them. I think they are getting set now,” Jibrin had said.
He had argued; “If the PDP considers Atiku for the automatic presidential ticket, what about those in the party who are showing interest? Should we throw them away? If he is coming, he should come as an equal partner.”
The PDP BoT Chainman highlighted: “For now, we have a former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau; former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, and so on preparing to vie for the PDP presidential ticket.
“If the PDP grants Atiku a waiver, he should, then, join the cream of presidential aspirants in the party to fight for the ticket in 2019.”
He reiterated: “We are ready to accept him. But, he must follow the rules of the game.
First, he must undergo primaries like any other person, and he must fight for the presidential ticket.”
It was gathered that Atiku could be returning to the PDP in December.