24th August, 2021
By Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is being strengthened to take over power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
Atiku spoke when he led a delegation to visit Governor Godwin Obaseki in Edo on Monday.
He was accompanied on the visit by former Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu; Senator Dino Melaye and others.
Speaking with newsmen, Atiku said his discussion with the governor centred around governance, situations in the country and how PDP could be strengthened to take over power in 2023.
“Basically we discussed about governance, the situation in the country, we discussed about our party, how our party should be strengthen and to take over leadership in as many states and also the federal government,” he added.
Speaking, Obaseki expressed hope for light at the end of the tunnel, saying there was need to rebuild a strong Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of 2023 presidential election to rescue Nigeria from its current challenges.
According to him, “We must give Nigerians hope, the situation we are seeing in many weak countries, post pandemic is not good at all. We have to rise as a party and not wait for the election, we must start our work now to rescue Nigeria.
“First, we need to build a very strong party to rescue Nigeria, I have been on the other side, it is clear to me that there is only one party in Nigeria, which is the PDP.
“All the others are special purpose vehicles, for the purpose of winning elections. We have a responsibility of strengthening our party.
“From the analysis we’ve done, from my capacity as the Chairman of e-registration committee of our party, there is rarely any ward in this country that has not produced either a chancellor, Chairman, House of Representatives, House of Assembly member since 1999.
“So, the potentials are there, it’s about us just going to harness those potentials and make Nigerians realize that only an organised party like PDP can save Nigeria in this very perilous time we face.
“On our part as a committee of the party, we are going round the country to get Nigerians particularly young people who are apolitical to come and join our party to help rescue this country.”