Why We Promote New PDP, By Atiku

It’s All About 2015, Says Lar

FORMER Vice President and one of the founding fathers of the ruling crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Friday declared that he and his group in the New PDP were only interested in one thing: to rescue and reconnect the party with Nigerians, as was envisaged by its founding fathers.

  Atiku, the Turaki Adamawa, told The Guardian in an interview that “the PDP has been going in the wrong direction for far too long” and given what was happening in the other political parties (the quest by their leaders to strengthen them),  “you would agree with me that it has become necessary for some of us to rescue the party and put it back track. And that is exactly what has happened.”

  He frowned at what he described as the “poor manners” the party was being run, noting that the most important challenge to all concerned members was how to engender an orderly process of running the party.

  “Doing this would require that we put the structures of the party in their proper positions, so that at the end of the day, all members of the party can set the template for an action plan.

  “Essentially, what we are saying is that we want to correct the situation where only one man sits to direct the party and he alone puts members in line,” explained.

  On the insinuation that the new PDP was working with opposition parties, Atiku said such an allegation was merely a convenient argument by those misdirecting the affairs of the party.   

  “But you ask yourself: who are those destroying the PDP? Are they those who have turned the party into a non-democratic structure or those who want to rescue the party and reconnect it with the Nigerian people?” he quipped.

  He added: “We have exhausted all efforts to avoid the current division and factionalisation. The PDP is stronger as a united party, but the party leadership doesn’t give a hoot about destroying the democratic principles on which it is founded, to satisfy the ego of the President.

  “Peaceful negotiation is always welcome. We headed to the court to make a point. The PDP is bigger than any individual and, therefore, if they want to rebuild the party, it must return to the original objectives for which it was founded.”

  The former vice president berated those alleging that the new PDP was fighting for Northern Presidency in 2015, stressing that part of the problems faced by the country was the creeping tendency by some people to play the ethnic card whenever the need for rigorous assessment and dissection of its political problems arose.

  He lamented that such attitude to national political problems was taking a toll the country’s ability to move forward as a united entity. 

  “Unfortunately, these divisions are not about bridging the gap between the rich and poor, or opening the doors of our schools to our children, so that they can get access to good and qualitative education that will guarantee them a brighter future.

  “The divisions are about whether the presidency is for the North or the South. And I think the nation made a decision about this in 2011 and it is unfortunate that those who benefitted from the decision in 2011 are the same ones who are singing the tune of ethnic politics,” he bemoaned.

  However, in what appears to be a more optimistic view of the development in the party, its pioneer national chairman and former governor of old Plateau State, Chief Solomon Lar, predicted that the crisis currently rocking it would definitely fizzle before the end of the month.

  He said the crisis was simply an invitation to openness and freedom of expression, which every member of the party desires.

  But he said in reality, this was not good for the party, as it was all about 2015 election.

  Lar stated: “It is not unusual for a political party, like the PDP, to witness the current crisis, because it remains the party to beat in any election. So, everybody would like to be properly positioned in preparation forthcoming election.

  “But, it is not good for us.”

  The elder statesman, who spoke to The Guardian yesterday in Jos through the executive director of Solomon Lar Foundation, Mr. Adeyi Major, urged the warring factions to tread the path of patience, honour and national interest to embrace dialogue, saying with dialogue, there would be a lasting solution to the impasse.

  Lar stressed: “The PDP cannot be divided. We, as a political class, will not fail the country. There must be a way out of this storm.

  “All those who mean well for Nigeria will not want a spilt in the PDP. Nobody will pray for a repeat of the 1966 political disaster again.

  “I am making efforts to cut my medical trip short to return to the country. We shall look into all the issues at stake. We, as a party, cannot afford to rubbish what we built in the last 16 years.”

  He added: “It is not time to blame anybody, but to reconcile everybody. If there are those who are bent on destroying the party for selfish reasons, I will use my fatherly position to call them to order.”