THE crisis dogging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have become more interesting with a remark by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that a plan to split the embattled party had remained in the works for four months.
In an interview in his Abuja home with a team of journalists from Rariya, a Hausa newspaper based in Abuja, Atiku also spoke on the situation of things in the ‘new PDP.’
Atiku, who had led a withdrawal of a number of governors from the venue of a recent PDP convention, claimed that “we have been planning for some time because we have spent almost four months planning how to split the PDP.”
The former number two man in the country said that he decided to join the plan because the reasons of the sponsors aligned with his long-standing grouse about the situation of things in the party.
“At first, I didn’t know the arrowhead, but they eventually came and met me and I joined them because their reasons are the same with the ones I have been fighting against within the party — lack of fairness, honesty and tyranny. If I can fight the military to restore democracy, why can’t I fight fellow politicians?” he said.
According to him, his faction of the party had appealed the decision of the courts declaring it illegal.
“We have appealed and we are planning seriously.You will see what will happen,” he said.
Responding to a question on the reason some chieftains of the party took offence to the purported ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015, especially since the president had not categorically expressed his interest in another term in office, Atiku said, “he did (say that he would run) since he said he had the right to run. What else is remaining?”
Atiku was, however, silent on whether or not he would run for the presidency in the next general election. “Why are you in a hurry? Don’t worry, it is not yet the time for you to know,” he said.
In the meantime, the Turakin Adamawa denied being in the know of any plans of the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), declaring that “I am not a member.”
PDM is believed to belong to Atiku’s associates and those of the former Chief of General Staff, the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
