Former Nigerian vice president Atiku Abubakar has urged members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) not to focus on elections but ways to rebuild the party.
“Our preoccupation at this point in the PDP should not focus on elections, but on rebuilding and strengthening our party for the challenges ahead of us,” Atiku tweeted on Saturday.
Atiku contested and lost the 2019 presidential election to Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Buhari polled 15, 191, 847 votes to defeat Atiku, who had 11, 262, 978 votes during the election.
The former Nigeria vice president from 1999 to 2007 and the PDP challenged the election result from the election tribunal at the appeal court to the Supreme Court. But lost.
Still unsatisfied with the apex court judgement, Atiku alleged that Nigeria’s judiciary had been compromised by Buhari and All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
Since the court verdict, there had been underground politicking within the opposition party to regain the power it occupied for 16 uninterrupted years before Buhari’s first election in 2015.
Already, former PDP chairman Bode George is rumoured to run for the office of the Nigeria president in the 2023 election which constitutionally marks an end to Buhari’s two-term as Nigeria president.
There had also been claims from sources close to Atiku’s camp that he might still throw his heart in the ring for the presidential election in 2023. There are rumours that the PDP may again choose its presidential candidate for 2023 presidential election from northern Nigeria with many believing that Atiku may get a consensus nod.
Atiku, has, however not spoken for or against the reports that suggest he will be contesting the seat of Nigeria president for the sixth time.
The former vice president and former Senate president Bukola Saraki are rumoured to be top bidders for the PDP presidential ticket in 2023.
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