As more reactions trail the purported defection of ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, ahead of the 2019 general elections, a member of the National Assembly, Hon Joseph Ayodeji, has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress is not threatened by the development.
Ayodeji, who represents Apapa Federal Constituency, Lagos, said that the APC was not going to be “moved in any way” if the former vice president eventually decided to defect to the PDP.
The lawmaker said this in an interview with our correspondent, stressing that Atiku’s exit from the ruling party to the opposition PDP would not give the APC anything to worry about.
Ayodeji said, like any other individual, Atiku had the freedom to choose whichever party or political group to join at any point in time.
“Atiku is an individual, just like any other person. And you know, in Nigeria, there is free entry free exit, and it is a factor that contributed to the success of the 2015 elections. So, if he decides to go, we can only wish him the best of luck,” he said.
Speaking on the possibility of President Muhammadu Buhari recontesting in the 2019 elections, the lawmaker said the President had a right to do so, noting that the party could field him if it resolved to make him its flag bearer.
“It is his right to contest and it is also the right of the party to also decide if they want him or not in 2019. And for me as member of the party, I will wait for him to decide, because, for now, he has not even said anything about his position on 2019,” he said.
Reacting on the 2018 budget proposal presented by the President, Ayodeji, however, faulted the proposed seven per cent allocation to education.
“The budget is still a proposal, it is not the approved budget yet, and I believe that is what the National Assembly will look at. It will be taken into consideration before it is passed. We will look into it for upward review,” he said.
