Niyi Odebode and John AlechenuThere were fears among the All Progressives Congress chieftains on Friday, following the defection of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the ruling party. Saturday PUNCH gathered that although the APC was expecting Atiku’s exit, it dawned on it on Friday that the former vice-president’s action could lead to mass defection from the ruling party. If the APC and the Presidency dismiss Atiku’s defection, they are not realistic. He said that while other parties had purged themselves of the arbitrariness and unconstitutionality, the ruling party adopted same practices. He stated that the ruling party had instituted “a regime of a draconian clampdown on all forms of democracy within the party and the government it produced.”Atiku disclosed the decision to leave the ruling party in a statement he personally signed.

Source: Punch November 25, 2017 00:33 UTC