Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The Coalition of aggrieved Support Groups numbering over 145, on Tuesday, formally withdrew their support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and pledging their support and loyalty to president Muhammadu Buhari for the 2019 presidential election.

Speaking during event to mark the official joining of the campaign for President Buhari’s re-election bid, Coordinator of the Groups, Bello Osaretin, said that they wanted to be part of the ‘Next Level’ movement.

While promising to mobilise their members to give President Buhari six million votes, the Groups coordinator said: “We the members of aggrieved Atiku Support Groups Coalition, warehousing more than 145 aggrieved support groups across Nigeria, unanimously agreed to denounce membership of Atiku Presidential Campaign Office and as well withdraws total supports for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition nationwide with immediate effect and direct all affiliate bodies to do same forthwith.

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“Our decision to quit the Atiku project was occasioned by the total neglect and disregards for the sanctity of support groups existence, acknowledgment and recognition of groups contributions coupled with nepotic deployment to favour some selected support groups with ethnic affinity, administrative recklessness in management of support groups goodwill, rebarbative use of derogatory lingos such as mere volunteers and nuisance to ascribed support groups instrumental for Atiku to defeat eleven co-contestants in PDP Presidential Convention and the use of coercive force, such as thugs and political touts to unleash mayhem on support groups that we are disgruntled to the injustice prevalent in APCO.

“However, after the emergence of the Atiku as Presidential Candidate in Port-Harcourt, the victory party was relocated to Dubai, where emporia  em emporium was hatched and cabals that never laboured were the first to sit at the tea party, meanwhile the support groups that labored through thick and thin were neglected, abandoned, used and dumped, confirming the usual parlance of “monkey day work baboon dey Chep” which has been the usual style of PDP as a political party.

“It is a common knowledge to state thus, though not trying to make common sense but rational thinking that it is not all that are common that makes sense, therefore, support groups who were neglected and treated with disdain has the right and privilege to migrate to places Where they will be treated with royalty.

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“Our decision to quit Atiku’s presidential project is informed and inspired by the outcome of wide consultations and engagements embark upon over the past few months as it were clearly observable that the Nigerian people are not interested in restarting Nigeria, knowing fully well that Nigeria is working and are ready to move enmasse to the NEXT LEVEL of economic prosperity, socio-cultural reintegration and political stability.

“We are proud to state that Nigerians are at home with the current achievements of President Buhari and cannot afford to return to the old days of political darkness and jabberwocky, where looters of our common patrimony were been celebrated and given front seats in social functions, instead of languishing in jail.

“Similarly, the Nigerian people can’t afford political nomads and people delinquent in leadership panache and content to govern Nigeria again. Nigeria is already moving forward and in save hands with President Buhari in the driver’s seat,” he said.

“To this end, we as members of aggrieved Atiku Support Groups nationwide do hereby pledge our unalloyed loyalty and allegiance to Buhari and promise to mobilize and give six million votes to him,” he added.