From Felix Ikem, Nsukka

Mixed reactions have continued to trail former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last Sunday, after dumping the party in 2014.

Senior lecturer and former head of department of Political Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof Aloysius Okolie, told Newsmen  in Nsukka yesterday that Atiku’s return to the PDP would be a big blow to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),  as many of his supporters would follow him. 

“Atiku, as former vice-president and successful businessman,  has imparted positively on many people, there is no doubt many of his supporters will follow their

principal to PDP. 

“His return to PDP  shows  that democracy is working in the country as people can change their political party when they feel it’s no longer living up to their expectations. 

“It is indisputable that Atiku returned to PDP to see if he can realise his presidential ambition in 2019, having seen it will be impossible for him to get presidential ticket in APC,” he said. 

Fabian Onah, the PDP chairman in Nsukka Local Government Area described Atiku’s return to PDP as a welcome development and said, having tested PDP and APC, the former vice president  has known that PDP is better. 

“Atiku’s dumping of the ruling party is an indication that APC has failed to deliver its campaign promises to  Nigerians. 

“It is also an indication that the possibility of PDP reclaiming power from the centre from APC in 2019 is gradually becoming a reality as many of Atiku’s supporters will join him in PDP,” he said.

The APC  chairman in Nsukka  Local Government  Area, Joseph Ugwuoke, said the party would lose nothing from Atiku’s  return to PDP, adding that APC would even be more united and focused . 

“Atiku is leaving APC because it is clear to him that he cannot get APC  presidential ticket in 2019.

“His aim of returning to PDP is to see if he will be given PDP presidential ticket as he is desperate to become the president of this country. 

“If he fails to pick the PDP presidential ticket, he may dump PDP again and join another party or even come back to APC,”  he said. 

A human rights activist, Mrs. Njideka Ugwu, said no politicians would remain in a party where he or she would not  actualise the political  ambition.

“To me, Atiku leaving APC because his agenda of entering the party could no longer be achieved, will give President Muhammadu Buhari automatic ticket in 2019.

“Atiku, having seen that PDP has zoned presidency to the North in 2019,  wants to grab the ticket, so as to challenge Buhari in 2019.

“My  problem with Nigeria politicians is that they do not stick to their political ideologies, rather they are driven by the quest to satisfy their personal pockets or ambitions; that is why many of them are political prostitutes.”

Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, who dumped PDP for APC in 2014, returned to PDP on Sunday, December 3, 2017.