 |
Atiku Abubakar |
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the decision of the PDP
National Executive Committee to eliminate the monopolisation of power and
the restoration of internal democracy in the party.
Reacting to Tuesday’s resolution of the PDP to rid itself of the
dictatorship imposed by former President Obasanjo, a statement by the
former Vice President and released by the Atiku Media Office Abuja, said
the development is a positive sign for democracy. “It’s a good omen
for our young democracy when the largest party realises no matter how
belated, the imperative of internal democracy” said the statement.
The former Vice President noted that democratic norms and values were
violently assaulted in the recent history of the party by a leadership
that illegally amended the party’s constitution in 2006 and imposed a
life chairman on the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT).
According to the presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007
election, “it is not enough for the ruling PDP to rid itself of
anti-democratic tendencies imposed on it by some of the unrepentant
enemies of freedom of choice this country has ever seen, it should turn
its attention to reforming the electoral system so as to bring it in line
with global best practices”.
The statement further noted that the courage of the new leadership to
reform the party and return it to its original democratic constitution is
consistent with his beliefs, and represents a ray of hope for the
country’s democracy.
The statement also advised the PDP to strive to enthrone the culture of free and fair elections across the country, noting election rigging and
other unwholesome practices would make nonsense of the optimism that
trails the party’s decision to restore internal democracy.
-------------------------------------------------------------