Atiku at PDP headquarters
Ahead of Saturday’s elective National Convention of the People’s Democrtaic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who resigned from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to return to the PDP has called on the members of the party to work towards rebuilding it on the principal of internal democracy.
He spoke in Abuja on Tuesday when he visited members of the caretaker committee of the PDP led by former governor Ahmed Makarfi of Kaduna State.
Atiku was accompanied by a large crowd of supporters, PDP leaders from Adamawa State, and the governor of Niger State, Babangida Muazu Aliyu.
Atiku was received by the spokesman for the party, Dayo Adeyeye, and thereafter held a meeting with members of the National Caretaker Committee of the party.
In his address Atiku said his visit was to reunite with members of the party, and that his coming was to show his face, to establish the fact that he had come home.
He lauded the Makarfi-led committee for working hard to unite the party, appreciating those who stood fast, never decamped even when it was almost hopeless for the PDP.
“Now that we have learned our lessons, those who left and those who remained, its time to build the party on the principle of internal democracy,” he said.
He called on other members who have left the party to return to the PDP, saying the records of the PDP in government, cannot be surpassed by any government.
Makarfi in his response said he had long been discussing with Atiku, on the state of the nation.
He said Atiku’s comeback, is as a result of the confidence he still has in the PDP, saying the Party has opened its gate for all who left and all are willing to return and to contest on a level playing ground with those who have remained.
An associate of Atiku said the Waziri Adamawa will make strong showing at the convention.