Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has revealed that his decision not to run for presidency in 2003 gave Chief Olusegun Obasanjo opportunity to secure second term ticket in the Peoples Democratic Party.
Atiku disclosed that he resisted the urge, in 2003, by all the PDP governors requesting him (Atiku) to contest, and referred them to the resolution of the PDP NEC that power should remain in the South-West for eight years.
He alleged that all the PDP governors met at the Villa and said that they were not going to support Obasanjo for a second tenure at the time.
Atiku, who spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the 94th National Executive Committee meeting of the PDP, reasoned that the state of origin of Nigeria’s president had never been a problem or solution to the challenges besetting the country.
“Where the president comes from has never been the problem of Nigeria and I can cite examples. Neither will it be the solution.
“There is no such thing like he is a president from southern Nigeria, or a president from northern Nigeria. There is only one president; a president from Nigeria, for Nigeria and by Nigerians,’’ he said.
He, therefore, called for spirit of fairness and justice in making decisions on zoning at the forthcoming national convention of the party and the 2023 general elections.
He said that decisions taken at the Abuja meeting would determine whether or not the PDP would return to power in 2023.
“The decision of NEC today will either see the PDP into the Villa in 2023 or not. The PDP has the right to determine its rules and how the party should be governed. The people of Nigeria also have the right to determine who governs them.
“Talking about inclusions, I will like to see a new NWC of our great party that has sizable numbers of our youth and women,’’ he said.
Abubakar added that since inception, PDP had faced serious challenges but rose above sentiments to solve the challenges and moved forward.
He recalled that those who served at the constitutional conference, which drafted the current Constitution of Nigeria, met after finishing their work and resolved to correct the injustice that was done to a particular part of the country.
According to him, because the election won by late Moshood Abiola was annulled, it was agreed that all members of the constitution drafting conference should ensure that the presidential candidate of their party came from the South-West.
He said that was because, not only was the election annulled, Abiola was also killed.
“So, we all agreed as members, and we went out of the constitutional conference and we formed our parties. At the end of the day, two parties emerged. The PDP picked Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (retd.) and the Alliance for Democracy picked Chief Olu Falae.
“All of these show you that Nigerians have a sense of fairness,’’ he stressed.
The former vice-president also recalled that in 2003, all the PDP governors met at the Villa and said they were not going to support Obasanjo for a second tenure.
He recalled that the governors requested him (Atiku) to contest, but he turned down the offer and referred them to the resolution of the PDP NEC that power should remain in the South-West for eight years.
“So, this country has a sense of fairness. This country has a sense of justice.
“Therefore, this thing that is inbuilt in our party, we should be able to use it; to imbibe it to make sure today’s deliberations are in the best interest of our party; in the best interest of Nigeria, which will ultimately give us the victory that we ask for to go back to the Villa.
“Having said that, I hope we shall be guided accordingly by a sense of fairness, a sense of justice, and a sense of patriotism, which will eventually and ultimately give us the success that we desire,’’ Abubakar said.
The party’s acting National Chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, described the meeting as a history-making day in determining the survival of the PDP as Nigerians were eagerly waiting on the party to take them out of the current challenges.
Akinwonmi said, “We should look at our party and Nigeria and bury all our personal differences because PDP is above any personal, or individual or collective consideration.’’
The Board of Trustees Chairman, Sen. Walid Jubrin, urged members to allow every decision to be in the interest of the party and of Nigeria.
