2023: I Have 11 Million Votes To Return PDP To Power – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has promised to return the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to power come 2023.

Speaking ahead of the parties National Convention slated for 28 and 29 May 2022, Atiku Abubakar said he already has eleven million votes in his kitty to help the party return to leadership.

The 2019 presidential aspirant said he deserved the right of first refusal for the party’s ticket.

Naija News understands that Atiku stated this during his visit to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja on Thursday, April 28.

Atiku who commended the party leadership for allowing others to contest insisted that “I deserve the right of first refusal”.

Meanwhile, Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has stated that former President Goodluck Jonathan is not constitutionally qualified to contest for presidency in 2023.

Recall that Jonathan was elected President of Nigeria in the 2011 election after completing the tenure of former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua.

The Bayelsa born politician lost the 2015 presidential election to lost Muhammadu Buhari.

Reports had emerged that Jonathan was planning on dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the 2023 election.

But in a statement on Wednesday, Femi Falana stated that Jonathan cannot contest the 2023 presidential election by 137 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

Falana said: “It has been confirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has decided to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, to contest the 2023 presidential election.

“However, the former President is disqualified from contesting the said election by 137 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended which provides as follows: ‘A person who was sworn in to complete the term for which another person was elected as President shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term.’”