Posters of former Vice-President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Abubakar Atiku, on Monday, flooded the Katsina State secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, even as the PDP chieftains called for Atiku’s return into their fold.
Atiku’s posters carrying various messages such as ‘Wazirin, we earnestly want you back in PDP:’ ‘Atiku, political son of Katsina State for 2019,’ and ‘Wazirin, the bridge builder,’ donned the premises of the PDP state secretariat and the surrounding areas along Kano road.
The PDP State Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Majigiri, who addressed party chieftains at the secretariat on Monday, however, said the meeting was called to discuss how to move the party forward in the state.
Majigiri did not make any categorical statement on the calls for Atiku’s return to the party.
However, a statement issued during the meeting by a group which called itself ‘PDP Concerned Elders Consultative Forum,’ said its members were sending a ‘Save Our Soul’ to Atiku to return to the party.
The statement titled, “A Save-Our-Soul call for the return of His Excellency, the Wazirin Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to the Peoples Democratic Party,” was signed by the forum chairman, Hussaini Dambo.
The statement partly read, “The forum wishes to acknowledge and appreciate the unmistakable fact that the Wazirin Adamawa is a ‘political’ son of Katsina State to say the least and for obvious reasons, which are not worthy of reiteration here. More importantly, the forum wishes to appreciate the historical fact that the Wazirin Adamawa has made varied indelible contributions to the foundation and development of the PDP and indeed that of democratic politics in Nigeria for decades. This is not only worth being remembered but it is also imperative to the current struggle being made by the PDP to wriggle back to become the mainstream political party in Nigeria.
“Also, the history of defences given to the struggle to sustain democracy in Nigeria’s recent past cannot adequately be written without a serious mention of the immense contributions of this great gentleman, who was in the frontline against those who at one time or the other, chose to truncate the noble path of sustainable democracy in our national body polity.
“In light of the foregoing undeniable facts, we the members of this forum, together with our delegates and millions of supporters wish to present this S.O.S call to His Excellency, the Wazirin Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to return to the PDP without further ado! We pray that he hearken to our call, and we seek the credible indulgence of the PDP to receive him with open arms in order to ensure a successful rebirth of the party.”
PUNCH
