PDP: Southern/Middle Belt Leaders Say Atiku’s Emergence Poses Threat To Nigeria’s Unity

By James Orji

Barely 48 hours after Atiku Abubakar emerged as the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, leaders from the Southern and Middle Belt Regions have rejected him.

The Leaders, under the aegis of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF; said the emergence of the former Vice President will have serious political consequence for the country.

Atiku emerged the PDP flagbearer on Saturday, May 28, after defeating his closest rival, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State at the party’s National Convention held in Abuja.

In a statement signed by the Forum’s leaders on Sunday, the SMBLF said the PDP jettisoned the peace and unity of the country by voting for a Northern candidate during the convention.

“At a time when the corporate existence of the country should be tantamount to all and sundry it appears the unity and peace of Nigeria mean little or nothing to a segment of the nation’s political elite.

“This was evidenced in the PDP special convention, which was held on Saturday, 28th May 2022, where certain candidates from the North were pressured, coerced, and even intimidated to step down for former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who eventually emerged as the flagbearer of PDP, in utter derision of the established principle of zoning and rotation of power between the north and south.”

The Leaders added: “Undoubtedly, the singular motive is to perpetuate the hegemony of the north, given that President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the north and of Fulani origin will be completing his full tenure of eight years by this time next year.

“SMBLF, therefore, totally rejects the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and calls on our people of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt as well as all true lovers of peace and unity not to vote for him or any other Northerner in the 2023 presidential election, in the interest of posterity.

“SMBLF further urges all aspirants for the office of President from southern Nigeria to shun the conceited attitude of individualism and self-confidence, and work collectively to achieve the shared objectives.

“Again, SMBLF calls on all politicians of Southern extraction to refuse the position of a running mate to any northern presidential candidate, which will equally be viewed as subjugating their people to political slavery.”

Those who signed the statement include Bassey Ewa-Henshaw of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) south-south; Okey Emuchay, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, south-east; Jare Ajayi Afenifere, south-west; Isuwa Dogo, Middle Belt Forum, MBF; and Ken Robinson, acting coordinator SMBLF.

Meanwhile keen watchers of political developments in the country, said Southern leaders only reinforced their earlier call for power shift from the North at the end of the tenure of the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

The analysts, however, insist that the emergence of Atiku as PDP candidate for next year’s presidential election has also exposed the deep-seated division among Southern Politicians on the contentious zoning issue.

For instance, many Southern PDP delegates jettisoned aspirants from the zone, such as Governor Wike, Anyim Pius Anyim, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF by voting for the former Vice President during the primary election held last Saturday.