Atiku support groups dump candidate,join APC

By Abubakar Yunusa , ABUJA

Several support groups for the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in Gombe yesterday publicly tore their membership cards as they shited support to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

The decampees in their thousands, across gender, held an impressive procession across Gombe town raising their membership cards of the Atiku campaign and tearing them to pieces.

In a public address at the end of the procession, leader of the angry former Atiku campaigners, Ibrahim Muhammad said they have realized the futility of pushing for an Atiku presidency at a time Nigeria is in dire need for national reintegration.

Mohammed pointed out that it will be unrealistic for Nigerians to be expected to forget so soon, the 16 hectic years of PDP administration in which Atiku was a major player.

And as an individual, Mohammed said, Atiku has refused to change from his elitist contradictions which have along proved detrimental to the ordinary people.

“Besides, at no time has Atiku ever shown any genuine interest in matters coming from or happening to northern Nigeria a place he remembers as home only when he needs votes.

“After diligent consultations therefore, we are here today to publicly renounce our membership of both the PDP and the Atiku presidential campaign.

“We also wish to publicly announce the shift of our support to the APC and its presidential candidate and commit to vigorously work for its victory in the coming elections.

“Our decision is informed by the genuine conviction that Asiwaju possesses the credentials of integrity, concern for the people and becessary foresight to lift Nigeria up the way he din Lagos when he was governor, ” Mohammed said.