The Peter Obi Support Network has appealed to former Vice President and presidential aspirant, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, to drop his ambition to contest the 2023 election and mobilise his political machinery to support the aspiration of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi.
The Support Group made the appeal in a letter dated April 19, 2022, which was submitted to Abubakar’s office on April 20.
Both politician are seeking the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party to stand for the 2023 presidential election.
In the letter, the group said Abubakar dropping his presidential ambition was in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.
The group in the letter explained that it is against the principle of fairness, equity and justice for another aspirant from Northern Nigeria to fight for the presidency after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office ends in 2023.
The letter reads in part: “We write on behalf of millions of our members across Nigeria to call on you, our Party Leader, H.E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (GCON), to seize the moment and show again the leadership you ably demonstrated in 2019 when you rose above primordial considerations to choose Mr. Peter Obi as the PDP Vice-Presidential Candidate; an action that got the entire country ‘Atikulated & Obligated.’
“The Atiku/Obi 2019 ticket has gone down in history as Nigeria’s most inspiring presidential ticket of all time, which in our view was an unfairly denied victory.
“Regardless of the foregoing, our relationship with you will last forever; and for the record, all of us in POSN were Atikulated & Obligated in 2019. Hence, for us, you are part and indeed the head of our family.
“As you are aware, Nigeria had President Olusegun Obasanjo (Southwest, 1999–2007) and President Goodluck Jonathan (South-south, 2010–2015), leaving the South-East outstanding.
“The All Progressives Congress has zoned its 2023 presidential ticket to the South; therefore, the PDP has no reason not to follow suit as a matter of law. To do otherwise will mean working against equity and fairness and inviting avoidable litigation and possible truncation of the PDP’s participation in the 2023 presidential election, which will give the APC a ‘walk-over-victory.’
“Stepping down and supporting Peter Obi will not only save the PDP and Nigeria, but also ensure that the Atiku/Obi ticket of 2019, which Nigerians so dearly missed, is returned to power in 2023 and ensure that their lofty manifesto is implemented for the benefit of all.”
