Atiku Denies Leaving PDP, Won’t Form New Party

Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi (middle) flanked on the left by Mrs Muriel Graham Douglas and on the right by Apostle Dr Laide Okafor, during a courtesy call of Women Intercessory for Churches and Nations at Government House, Port Harcourt.

A former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday denied that he had abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to float a new political party.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Media Officer of the Atiku Campaign Organisation Malam Garba Shehu,  in Abuja.
The statement, which stated that Atiku remained a loyal member of PDP,  added that the former vice president had no power to stop adults with common interests from coming together to form a party.
Atiku said in the statement that he would always welcome the expansion of the political space to accommodate all shades of opinion.
He said, “Freedom of Association as enshrined in the constitution is the beauty of democracy.
“I will not and cannot under any guise dissuade any of my followers from seeking a platform to promote their programmes,’’ the statement quoted Atiku as saying.
In another development, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu,  refuted the statement which attributed the registration of the new party to the commission.
Idowu said even though there were pending applications for party registration in the commission, he never mentioned any name or group.
“INEC, by law, receives applications for party registration and treats them on individual merits, but it makes no public issue of the party identity or their promoters,’’ he said.