OLD political allies and associates of former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who had worked with him under the People’s Democratic Movement PDM, which later formed the most part of the groups that became the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in 1998 have met in Cross River State in furtherance of Atiku’s presidential ambition in 2019.

Coordinated by Chief Dr. Domcklaimz Enamhe, who spoke with some journalists in Calabar after their meeting ended with a resolution to consolidate the activities of various support groups working to achieve the presidential bid of the former Vice President come 2019, he disclosed that 41 groups have collapsed into the PDM as an umbrella body under the leadership of Engineer Pius Okpa.

Domcklaimz, fondly called DC, noted: “The former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abukakar, has shown capacity and capability for the job. He has proved himself in business and has also proved himself in politics. He has shown his belief in democracy and he has been tried variously with series of legal cases and he always come out victorious.

“He has been in and out of the PDP because he is a democrat and if things are not done properly, he will move. I was at Eagle’s Square when I watch him raise his hands up and I saw six governors stood up and followed him.

I actually moved towards him and he said to me, ‘I should go back’, in the evening there was a meeting at Yar’Adua Center and what was known as the new PDP started. However, he could not reconcile with the PDP then until we got to where APC was formed and he led them to taking the presidency off us.

“We all feel very bad that we lost the presidency, those of us who were in PDP and those who remained in PDP, particularly those of us in the South-South, we needed to learn our lessons the hard way. I tell you, Atiku was the game changer,” DC said.

He added, “Today it is clear that the Presidency needs a little drift to where Nigerians will have some succour. Former Vice President Atiku is ready to give us that direction. He has come back to the PDP and the narrative in the party has changed suddenly.

“In Cross River State the mother association that has been promoting the Atiku return to the PDP and his presidential aspiration is the People’s Democratic Movement.

“The PDM is a movement not a party. At a point some members went and formed a party but that party died on its own but the movement remains with many of the same leaders we know.

“In Cross River we still have the likes of Engr. Pius Okpa and today as a speak to you, 41 different groups in Cross River that has been working, first; for Atiku to leave the APC, Second, for Atiku to come back to PDP and third for him the run for presidency in 2019 have agreed to come together to form a common front with PDM as the mother body to see to the actualization of the Presidential ambition of Atiku. He is even more popular among Nigerians than the President,” he boasted.

Also speaking with confidence that Atiku’s return to PDP was not only a good fortune for the party but with a likely prospect that he will pick the party’s presidential ticket and emerge victorious in 2019 presidential election, the South-South Coordinator of United Atiku Abubakar Support Group for 2019, Chief Godswill Mathew Tom, said with Atiku as President there will be better job creation initiatives and programmes.

According to him, “We are happy because we followed him to APC and when he was maltreated, we were disappointed, we left ahead of him back to PDP and urged him to come over. Today, we are happy he is back to PDP and he remains the potent choice that will get back the Presidency for the PDP.”

He urged Nigerians not to give in to antics of Atiku’s opponents who are trying to smear his name or dent his records.

“They will not succeed, this is Atiku’s time and Nigerians will vote him as their next President,” he said.

– Dec. 6, 2017 @ 17:21 GMT /