Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, has broken his silence over the crisis that seems to be rocking his party, saying that PDP and Atiku Abubakar remain the best option for Nigerians ahead of the 2023 Presidential election.
Senator Bukola Saraki who on Saturday 24th September 2022, was speaking for the first time since the explosive interview Governor Wike of Rivers State granted to Channels TV and the pulling out of some key members of the party from the Atiku campaign organisation, stated that he just returned from his annual vacation.
Taking to his official social media handle, he noted that he has seen and heard about people calling for him to speak and intervene on the issues rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but said that although he has not been talking publicly, he has been busy behind the scene, which is more productive then to speak in public. He said:
“I just returned from my annual vacation and went straight to Akwa Ibom to join the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the state’s creation.
As I moved round the country in the past few days, I got the feeling that many people are concerned over my seeming silence on recent developments in our party, the PDP,” he said.
He continued:
“My response is that there are times to speak and be heard and there are times when working silently behind the scene is more productive. This is such a time. PDP and Atiku Abubakar remain the best option for Nigerians in the 2023 polls,” he added.
The PDP Crisis: Wike, Atiku And Iyorchia Ayu
The statement by Saraki saying that the PDP and Atiku Abubakar still remain the best option for Nigerians going into the 2023 poll, is coming just a few days after Governor Nyesom Wike’s team reportedly pulled out of the campaign Council of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
This came following a meeting early on Wednesday morning in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where members of the Rivers State Governor’s team vowed not to play any role in Atiku’s campaign ahead of the 2023 general elections.
They insisted that the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, must resign for them to rescind their decision.
They said there was no going back on the call for Ayu’s resignation as the national chairman of the party.
Present at the meeting were aggrieved party leaders party chieftains, including founding members of the party, governors, former ministers.
They insisted that the position must come to the South for balance, justice, and equity in the party, hence they will not play any role in Atiku Abubakar’s campaign council.
They also resolve that an acting Chairman from the South should lead the party on the national campaign, going into the elections.
They made their position known in a resolution read by former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Bode George, after a long meeting held at Governor Wike’s private residence, near Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
They maintained that their position was not negotiable as the chairmanship of Ayu undermined the unity and constitution of the party.
While accusing Ayu of compromising the May 28 and 29 presidential primaries of the party through his conduct, the members said the published presidential campaign council list was tantamount to putting the cat before the horse.
George while reading the resolution said they were worried over the division in the PDP, saying the party’s internal mechanism should brace up to the challenges.