Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Thursday said he would remained in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even if he fails to secure the party’s presidential ticket.
Fielding questions from newsmen at the party’s secretariat in Minna, Niger state where he was billed to address party supporters and delegates ahead of the forthcoming convention, Atiku said he has returned home to stay.
“Whether I become the presidential candidate or not, I want to assure you that I will always discharge my obligations to ensure the success of the polls”, he said, adding “I shall remain in the party even if I lost”.
According to him, all the presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP met with the national working committee of the party on Wednesday where the issue of signing an affirmation to support whoever emerged as the party’s flag bearer was discussed.
He said he was ready to align with the decision at the said meeting, even as he expressed optimism of wining the party’s ticket in a free and fair primary.
“I am ever ready to work towards the success of the party if level-playing ground is provided during the party primaries like I did in 2015”, he promised.
The former vice president said he and others who defected to opposition PDP were disappointed with the dismal performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which they assisted in building.
He scored the APC low on economy saying, “the economic growth has consistently been in it lowest ebb the moment the APC took over government resulting in a recession which the country has not been able to recover from.
“So clearly, the APC government has failed and that is why we have the highest number of joblessness and high poverty rate”, he explained.
He also accused the APC government of encouraging insecurity by refusing to address the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment.
