Following the resignation of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the ruling All Progressives Congress, stakeholders and political observers have expressed divergent opinions over the development.
While Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State argued that Atiku would not pose any threat to the APC in the 2019 presidential election, if handed the ticket of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ben Bruce, lauded the courage of the former vice president to leave the ruling party.
“It took courage, especially as he has wide business investments that are already targets and could be further targeted. I appeal to him to return to the house he helped to build, the PDP,” Bruce said.
Similarly, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, chided those condemning Atiku’s defection from the APC.
Fayose, who spoke through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, described as uncharitable those labeling the former vice president a political prostitute due to his decision to quit the ruling APC.
According to him, “There is no defection that Atiku has achieved, which Buhari, too, has not achieved. For instance, in 2003, Buhari contested under ANPP. In 2011, he contested under CPC; in 2015, he contested under APC. So, why would any reasonable person call Atiku a political prostitute?”
He, therefore, saluted the courage of the former vice president, adding that his resignation from the APC was a move to assure a better future for the country.
Meanwhile, a group, Democracy Coalition, has adopted Atiku as their presidential candidate ahead of the 2019 presidential election.
The coalition, while saluting the courage of the former vice president, said the decision by Atiku to dump the APC in search of a better platform with democratic ideals was “most commendable.”
The National Coordinator of the coalition, Mr. Michael Williams, said, “Democracy Coalition has long passed its verdict on APC as a deceptive party, devoid of any democratic credential.
“We thank God that Alhaji Atiku has finally seen the deception in the APC and has summoned the courage to quit, because when the falcon can no longer hear the falconer, the best option is to quit.
“By that resignation, Alhaji Atiku has once again proved to the world that he is not only a bulwark of democracy, but a defender of democracy at great personal risks.”
Williams also maintained that the coalition was ready to move en mass with the former vice president into any political party of his choice ahead of the 2019 election.
Though Atiku has yet to unveil his new political platform after quitting the ruling APC, political analysts have speculated that the former VP had already gone into negotiations with his former party, the PDP, and may soon formally register his membership.
