Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming 2023 general elections, have reacted to the growing challenges to his emergence as the party`s flagbearer, as well as the crisis currently rocking the opposition PDP.

Reacting through series of tweets on Thursday, the former Vice President said, “We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members”.

Indications emerging in the recent times suggest that the Peoples Democratic Party is heading to the rocks since the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the party`s flagbearer for the presidential election.

The conflict Atiku`s emergence brought into the party was further intensified by his choice of running mate in the person of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the current governor of Delta State, against Nyesom Wike, the choice of the party bigwigs.

Also, against all expectation, the biggest opposition party neglected the provisions of its constitution, which stipulates zooning arrangement for the party`s flagbearer.

By virtue of this constitutional provision, a northern candidate was not supposed to be chosen by the party to run in the 2023 election because the zone already had their turn in the 2019 election, which incidentally also had Atiku as the PDP candidate.

The 2023 is supposed to be the turn of the South to produce the parties flagbearer, but the North once again held unto it by throwing the contest open to every zone to participate.

This got so party chieftains from the southern region aggrieved, a point which has been severally made by many PDP chieftains before and after the primary, which Atiku Abubakar won, defeating Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and several other aspirants.

On Wednesday, the former governor of Ekiti State and a chieftain of the PDP, Peter Ayodele Fayose, openly rebooked and rejected the candidacy of Atiku, who is a northerner and indicated the he might be dumping the PDP because according to him, in 2023 it must be a president from the South of nothing.

The PDP chieftain is also openly flirting with another political party with a candidate in the same presidential election. Fayose is proudly eulogizing and celebrating the candidacy of the Labour Party presidential flagbearer, whom he says is the best among equals.

Notable Quotes:

Reacting to these growing grievances, Atiku on Thursday in series of tweets from his verified Twitter handle wrote:

“The PDP will remain united,” Mr Atiku said on Thursday in a series of tweets “Focus on our actions. We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members. The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.

“Every Governor, Legislator, and other elected officials produced by our party, and party members and loyalists, are much loved and respected by me.

“When they speak, I listen. I do not only listen. Appropriate actions have been taken, are being taken, and will continue to be advanced.”