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Atiku lauds PDP over stand on Obasanjo’s BOT

Atiku, who left the PDP to contest the presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress, said that the decision was akin to a “resolution of the PDP to rid itself of the dictatorship imposed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

The former vice president views were contained in a statement made available to our correspondent by the Atiku Media Office, Abuja.

Atiku said the development was a positive sign for democracy, adding, “It’s a good omen for our young democracy when the largest party realises, no matter how belated, the  imperative of internal democracy” . 

Atiku insisted that democratic norms and values were violently assaulted in the recent history of the PDP by a leadership that effected an illegal amendment of the party’s constitution in 2006, and imposed a life chairman on the PDP’s BOT.

 Atiku said, “It is not enough for the ruling PDP to rid itself of anti-democratic tendencies imposed on it by some of the unrepentant enemies of freedom of choice this country has ever seen, it should turn its attention to reforming the electoral system so as to bring it in line with global best practices”.

The statement further noted that the courage of the new leadership to reform the party and return it to its original democratic constitution was an indication that there is ray of hope for the country’s democracy.

 The statement also advised the PDP to strive to enthrone the culture of free and fair elections across the country, noting that election rigging and other unwholesome practices would make nonsense of the optimism that trails the party’s decision to restore internal democracy.