A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Commissioner of Information and Culture in the Chief Samuel Ortom’s administration in Benue State, Hon. Michael Inalegwu yesterday applauded the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) that ruled in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and advised former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to honourably bow out of politics saying he is a disappointment to the PDP.
Besides, the former Commissioner opined that Atiku may be making a wild goose chase in his another move to challenge the verdict of the PEPT judgement at the Apex Court as he stoutly put it to him that majority of PDP supporters will not back him in the struggle.
Ortom was one of the G-5 governors that worked against the presidential bid of Atiku who vowed that he “cannot support a Fulani man to win election and kill his people”.
Hon. Inalegwu who spoke to New Telegraph in Makurdi, state capital said Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu jointly masterminded the misfortunes confronting the party today.
He said if Atiku and Ayu had listened to Ortom and other governors especially the G-5 on their firm stands for Southern presidency, the problem of the party wouldn’t have degenerated to the level it is now.
“Atiku caused the whole problem the PDP is facing today. If he and Iyorchia Ayu had listened to Ortom and other governors who said that the presidency is not for the North again, but because of his (Atiku’s) greediness, he stick to it and fought to the last level and disgraced himself.
“I want him to honourably resign from politics and apologize to Nigerians and the PDP because he is the architect of our (PDP’s) misfortunes.
“If Atiku goes to Supreme Court, majority of us in PDP will not support him because he has disgraced PDP as a party. He should hands off anything politics. Even if any Southerner comes out to run with Tinubu, we are okay.
“The principle of equity means that allow another person to have what belongs to them. It is not the turn of the North to produce a president. Buhari was there for eight years and Atiku cannot struggle to be there for another eight years, it must go to the South, after eight years it can go to the North at that time he can come out and contest if he wants to remain in politics in perpetuity”.
Hon. Inalegwu who expressed optimism that the PDP would coast to victory in the expected judgement of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal (GEPT) in the state, described the 100 days in office of the Governor Alia administration s a ‘mess’.
“He was basically facing probe and chasing shadows. His 100 days is a mess. When he came, the entire Catholic community voted for him, but today everybody is not happy. But I want to tell him that having failed in 100 days, he should put his axe together and come up with proper governance”.
