About one hundred and ninety (190) People Democratic Party (PDP) support groups have threatened to abandoned Presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for allegedly neglecting them in the scheme of things.
The groups which form part of those who contributed money to purchase Nomination and Expression of Interest for Atiku Abubakar, specifically accussed his campaign Director General and former governor of Ogun state of nepotism in the file and rank in the campaign office.
Addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, the National Chairman of the aggrieved groups’ coalition, Osaratin Godspower, declared that if their grievances are not addressed as expected “If they choose not to address our grievances, in a not distant time, we have more options. We are politicians. We can go to other parties. After all, Atiku himself was in the PDP and later left for the defunct Action Congress (AC). He returned to the PDP but he left again to the APC. Now, he returned to the PDP.”
While explaining what led to their agitations, Godspower said: “We have come together to agitate on anomalies in APCO. This is because of the fact that prior to Atiku’s emergence as the presidential flagbearer of the PDP, a lot of groups came together to, first of all, but the nomination forms for him. It is often stated that to whom much is given, much is expected. In the course of doing that, a lot of groups independently dissipated time and energy to ensure that Atiku Project becomes a reality.
“In the course of doing that, they all mobilized across the length and breadth of this country; to Yola for his declaration; Lagos and Port Harcourt to support while he was crisscrossing the length and breadth of Nigeria.
“You will agree with me that there is no way 2000 people will be on the road crisscrossing and there will not be any misfortunes. In the course of doing that, a lot of people had accidents, some died, some were injured, some lost their valuables.
“As I speak to you, the APCO office led by Otunba Gbenga Daniel has never found it explicitly necessary to admire, recognize and put a call across in recognition of the efforts. This is appaling and unfortunate. To this end, we found out that we have been totally neglected. As I speak to you, no letter of recognition has been given to any support group as obtained during the Goodluck Jonathan Support Groups. They have abandoned us. We have made a lot of entreaties to address these anomalies, but they call us mere volunteers. If we are mere volunteers, why did you accept our registration forms?
“Atiku himself has not found it necessary to call for these wonderful men and women who will be the pacesetters come 2019. People who will mobilise the real voters to vote for him. So, we felt slighted, abandoned and humiliated.”
While stating the demands of his group, Godspower said: “You know when you are not recognized, there is no way you can be part of the process. As I said before, we have spent money, we wasted our time, we need to be recognised.
“A letter of recognition should be given to us. Appropriate office should be designed for the support groups. As I speak to you now, the office is one-sided. The whole staff of that place is being dominated by the Yorubas. It has been ‘yorubanised’. All of them from one State, Ogun State. It will interest you to know that the Director of Special Duties is from Ogun State, the Director-General is from Ogun State, the Deputy Director, Mobilisation is from Ogun State. The Director, Communications is from Ogun state. The Director of Media and Publicity is from Ogun State in an organization that is designed to have federal outlook. It is unacceptable.
“That is why, sometimes, when you agitate, they give you all manners of names like mere volunteers. How can you call people who have thrown in a lot mere volunteers? We have provided billboards, banners, branded vehicles and paid adverts. And you will refer to us as mere volunteers.
“We take an exception to that comment. It is unfortunate that in this modern day politics and in the march to change the narratives of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, people who are supposed to be the ultimate resources are being referred to as mere volunteers. It is quite unfortunate. That is why we gathered here. We are more than these. The 50 people you see are just representatives.”
