PDP group woos Atiku, other decampees
The National PDP Professionals and Business Group (NPPBG) has called on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to put in motion activities to lure former members back, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Odaudu Ugbede Abrahams, a senior member of the group, who spoke to newsmen after its national executive council meeting held in Abuja at the weekend, said most of the members who left had sincere grievances against the party.
Abrahams said he had resolved to pursue the immediate return of all “founding fathers” of the PDP and to also pursue genuine reconciliation independent of the party’s reconciliation committee.
He said the group would go round the 36 states of the federation to meet with the founding fathers and plead with them to return home in spite of their grievances.
He said the group was appealing particularly to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to return home as the aspirations of Nigerians to do away with the group of ‘Aggrieved Politicians Congress (APC)’ would be enhanced by his return to the PDP.
He said, “We are also calling on other founding fathers and leaders like Chief Barnabas Gemade, Alhaji Danjuma Goje, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, the peoples General, Col. Suleiman Babanawa (rtd), Air Marshal Atawodi, Dr. Philip Salawu, Senator George Akume, Senator Ken Nnamani, Charles Soludo, Alh Jibrin Echocho, Alh Ibrahim Linco Ocheje, Amb. Isaac Onuh, Chief Shola Akamode, DCP Aurelius Adejo (rtd) to mention but a few to please as a matter of urgency return home as they sincerely have no stake and are being underutilized where they currently are.
“These leaders came together on the 28th day of July 1998 in Abuja with the idea of bringing together patriotic and likeminded Nigerians into a single but formidable political party capable of organising Nigeria into a nation responsive to the aspirations of its people by democratically pursing her objectives without regard to region, personal aspirations or ethnic affiliation,” he said.