JUST IN: ‘We’re largest, no better party in Nigeria,’ Atiku to APC defectors in Bauchi

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abubakar Atiku has described PDP as the largest and strongest party in Nigeria.

Atiku, who made this assertion while addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters at a rally in Bauchi on Wednesday, said there is no other party that is better off PDP in Nigeria.

He said, “There is no better party than PDP in this country. We are the oldest, we are the strongest, and we are the largest.

“Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to congratulate the people of Bauchi and the governor of Bauchi, Bala Mohammed, for the achievement and I believe when we start the real presidential campaign, we will witness a larger turnout,” he said.

The rally was attended by the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu; PDP Chairman in Bauchi, Hamza Akuyam; as well as the spokesperson of the PDP presidential campaign council, Dino Melaye.

Meanwhile, Atiku also received some defectors from the ruling All progressives Congress, APC to the PDP in the state.

Recall that Atiku inaugurated his campaign council on September 28, 2022, but about five aggrieved governors in the party were absent.

The governors include Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

The five governors and other chieftains have been mounting pressure on Ayu to step down for a southerner.

They claimed it is an injustice for northerners to be the party’s national chairman and presidential candidate.

The party’s top functionaries had a meeting with the acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Speaking after the meeting, Wike said peace is the most important and expressed optimism that the crisis will be resolved.