PDP Primary: Group Faults Atiku’s Emergence

A civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has faulted the process that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, yesterday, alleged that Atiku’s emergence was heavily compromised by undue monetisation, adding that the PDP delegates gave their votes to the highest bidder.
“According to reports, each of the 767 national delegates that voted at the MKO Abiola Stadium, venue of the presidential primary, allegedly got, at least $35,000 from the aspirants. This allegation is yet to be debunked by the individuals so accused”, the group said.
The Tide reports that Atiku secured 371 votes to win the primary election.
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who was expected to win the race in a landslide under normal circumstances, polled 237 votes.
HURIWA described the presidential primary of the PDP as a “corruption fiesta”.
It said the withdrawal from the PDP race by former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; and businessman, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; who both said the PDP had monetised the process, suffices that the presidential primary was nothing but corruption fiesta.
The group expressed disappointment that officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) showed up at the venue of the primary election at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja but failed to arrest anyone.
“HURIWA condemns the conspiracy of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that pretended that it doesn’t know that bribes exchanged hands. The anti-graft agency sent its operatives to the primary venue but the exchange of dollars still happened as seen in several media reports. How shameful! HURIWA urges the EFCC top echelons in Abuja to prosecute the delegates that compromised their conscience and voted against the will of the people on Saturday/Sunday”, the group said.
It, however, warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which is yet to hold its presidential primary, to move against a northern candidate and make a southerner its presidential candidate “in the spirit of fairness and to preserve the unity of Nigeria”.
The Tide reports that the APC, last Friday, moved its presidential primary from May 29 (yesterday) to first week in June following the extension of the deadline for the submission of names of presidential candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“HURIWA urges the APC to give its ticket to the South-East or at least the Southern region so as to preserve the unity of Nigeria or else if APC goes North like PDP, it is a vote of no confidence on the continuous existence of Nigeria”, the group warned.