By Ben Ogbemudia Abuja
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday itemised his plans for Nigeria to include restoration of unity through equity, social justice, mutual collaboration, and consensus, among our diverse people.

Unveiling the party’s presidential campaign council in Abuja, Atiku promised to build a strong and effective democratic government where the safety and security of our people and their property is our primary and singularly most important responsibility.

This came just as five PDP serving governors were conspicuously missing at the inauguration of the party’s PCC.

Their staying away from the inauguration and book launch may not be unconnected to the current crisis between the Atiku and Governor Nyesom Wike camp.

The governors are Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, as well as the governor of Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Adamawa, and Taraba states, Ifeanyi Okowa, Udom Emmanuel, Douye Diri, Godwin Obaseki, Ahmadu Fintiri, and Darius Ishaku respectively, registered their presence.

So also were former senate presidents, Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gali Na’Abba.

House Minority leader, Ndidi Elumelu, acting PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, former national chairman, Uche Secondus, former Vice-President, Nanamdi Sambo, former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, one-time governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, graced the occasion.

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Also disappointing at the book launch was former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, who had been slated to be the distinguished guest of honour.

Discussions by some members of the party at the International Conference Centre, Abuja venue of the events centred on whether what was playing out could be ‘karma’, or a repeat of the 2015 general elections, in which Atiku and others worked against Jonathan.

*The inauguration

Inaugurating the first campaign council, PDP presidential standard-bearer, Atiku, said to rescue and rebuild Nigeria, the party must first take over the mantle of leadership from the party (All Progressives Congress, APC) that drove the nation into the current mess.

Atiku, therefore, appealed to all members to be united in purpose, and come together to fight and win all the elections slated for next year.

He said every single person who loves this country, as he does, is needed for the arduous tasks that face everyone ahead as a nation, and this includes every member of the PDP.

“And it is my fervent hope and prayer that every man and woman of goodwill will join hands with us to help rescue, rebuild and reposition our beloved country, Nigeria.

“In May 2015, our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in an orderly, peaceful and rancour-free manner, handed over the reins of government at the centre to the opposition party, the APC, having lost the presidential elections a few months earlier.

“Four years later, in 2019, and despite the drift, economic desolation, challenges of insecurity, and massive dislocations to the lives of our citizens witnessed under the APC government in those years, and notwithstanding that our great party had put before the Nigerian people, a demonstrably better plan for recovery and development of our nation, our party was, once again, schemed out in the elections held that year in the most devious manner,” the presidential candidate said.

He added, “It is a testament to the patriotism, dedication to constitutionalism and law and order, and the unshakable belief in the rule of law and the supremacy of the courts in our land, that our great party, the PDP, chose and pursued redress in the one, and only way laid down by law – through the courts. Of course, you all know how that ended, so, there is no need to bore you with details.”

According to the Wazirin Adamawa, “Since the loss at the polls of 2019 till now, and under the watch of the current APC government, our dear country has witnessed a frightening descent into anarchy. Our nation is currently in the throes of a multidimensional crisis encompassing insecurity, economic meltdown, disunity, and mutual mistrust, to mention a few.

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“To start with, the current government has failed at the very essence of what makes a government: the security of lives and property of its citizens. Our security challenges are legion, and I do not need to bore you by rehashing them here.”

Atiku also stressed, “Our economy is in shambles, growth has stagnated, and our people are facing massive existential challenges daily. Hunger is the norm today in our country.

“Our nation is in disarray. The fabric of unity that binds our country is, today, being torn apart by mutual distrust, and ethnic and sectarian strife and we are now more disunited than we have ever been in our history, including even when we fought a civil war.

“Our educational system is comatose. Nothing more underscores this than the twin embarrassing facts of the number of children that are currently out of school, and the length of time that university students have been kept out of their classrooms this year, as a result of the ASUU strike.

“Our system of government is broken. Our current system is unfair, unwieldy, skewed towards favouring the Federal Government, at the expense of the other federating units, and has in itself, become a willing tool for underdevelopment. This kind of system of government is no longer suited to the challenges of a twenty-first-century economy that works for everyone, and that is needed to bring development closer to our people.”

However, noting that all hope is not lost, Atiku said, “We have a plan to address these issues, and to arrest the drift of our nation. These plans have been laid out in the document entitled: “My covenant with Nigerians”.

Itemising his plans for Nigeria, Atiku said, “Establishment of a strong, resilient, inclusive and prosperous economy that generates opportunity, jobs and wealth while lifting the poor out of poverty.

“Encouragement of the adoption of a true federal system that provides where all the federating units are equal, and has a fair and representative Federal Government that secures our borders, defend our people and ensures national unity, whilst allowing the federating units to develop and grow in line priorities which they have set on their own.

“Redevelopment, investment in, and strengthening of our education system to provide its recipients with the education and skills needed to compete in the new global order driven by innovation, science, and technology, as well as to live healthy, productive, and meaningful lives.”

*Divided house, damaging allegations

A national officer of the PDP from Imo State and NEC member, Chinemerem Madu, yesterday alerted members of the party that “a compromised National Vice Chairman and a couple of members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) were working seriously to derail the presidential campaign and scuttle the deserving victory of the presidential candidate, Atiku, at the 2023 general elections.

Madu said the National Vice Chairman ‘and his cohorts, who he alleged had confessed to having been ‘heavily bankrolled’, are approaching and offering members of NEC sums ranging from N25m to N28m each to address a damaging press conference with fabrications aimed at derailing the presidential campaign.

According to him, the issue remains that “The said National Vice Chairman had approached me personally as a member of NEC to inform me of plots to orchestrate a heavily-funded press conference to be addressed by select NEC members seemingly calling for the resignation of the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, but targeted at frustrating the Atiku Abubakar presidential bid.