By Umar Muhammad Puma
As 2019 general election draws nearer, about 145 groups have denounced their support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and pledged allegiance to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The groups, under the auspices of the Aggrieved Atiku Support Groups, made this known at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday and assured that they will mobilize over 5.5million votes for President Buhari to ensure continuity of his government.
Chairman of the group, Bello Osaretin, explained that their decision to quit Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential project is informed and inspired by the outcome of wide consultations and engagements embark upon over the past few months, as it were clearly observable that the Nigerian people are not interested in restarting Nigeria, knowing well that Nigeria is working; adding that they are ready to move enmass to the NEXT LEVEL of economic prosperity, socio-cultural reintegration and political stability.
“We are proud to state that Nigerians are at home with the current achievements of President Mohammadu Buhari, and cannot afford to return to the old days of political darkness and jabberwocky, where looters of our common patrimony were being celebrated and given front seats in social functions, instead of languishing in jail.
“Similarly, the Nigerian people can’t afford political nomads and people delinquent in leadership panache and content to govern Nigeria again.
“Nigeria is already moving forward and in safe hands with President Mohammadu Buhari in the driver’s seat,” he added.
The group explained further that its “decision to quit the Atiku Abubakar’s project was occasioned by the total neglect and disregards for the sanctity of support groups existence, acknowledgment and recognition of groups contributions coupled with nepotism in favour of some selected support groups with ethnic affinity, administrative recklessness in management of support groups good will, use of derogatory lingos such as mere volunteers and nuisance to ascribed support groups that were instrumental for Atiku Abubakar to defeat eleven co-contestants in PDP Presidential Convention and the use of coercive force, such as thugs and political touts to unleash mayhem on support groups that we are disgruntled to the injustice prevalent in APCO.”
The Osaretin said after the emergence of the Atiku Abubakar as Presidential Candidate in Port-Harcourt, the victory party was relocated to Dubai, where emporium was hatched and cabals that never labored were the first to sit at Tea Party, while the support groups that labored through thick and thin were neglected, abandoned used and dumped, confirming the usual parlance of ‘monkey dey work baboon dey chop” which has been the usual style of PDP as a political party.
It added that it is a common knowledge to state thus, though not trying to make common sense but rational thinking that it is not all that are common that makes sense; therefore, support groups who were neglected and treated with disdain have the right and privilege to migrate to places where they will be treated with royalty.
The group, therefore, states that: “Today, we the members of the Aggrieved Atiku Support Groups Coalition with over 145 political mobilization elements nationwide has collectively denounced and withdrew our total support for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as we transit and coalesce our political identity to Asiwaju Reloaded PMB Ambassadors of Nigeria.”
