The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) State governors in the camp of their Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, were conspicuously absent at the official inauguration of the party presidential campaign council and the Atiku Abubakar book launch, yesterday.
Recall that the party, yesterday, formally inaugurated its 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, headed by Akwa-Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel. The event, which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, attracted the partys chieftains from across the country. However, the State governors in Wikes camp boycotted the event. They include Samuel Ortom, of Benue; Seyi Makinde, of Oyo; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, of Enugu, and Okezie Ikpeazu, of Abia State and Wike, as well as Prof. Jerry Gana.
Since the election of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the flagbearer of the party in May, the group has insisted that Ayu must resign as a condition for supporting the PDP presidential candidate. They claimed that power is more concentrated in the North and for them to throw their support behind Atiku, the PDP national chairman, who is from the North, must resign.
However, those present at the events include Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed; Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Akwa-Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel, Bayelsa governor, Douye Diri; Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri.
The Former Presidents of the Senate, David Mark, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim; Board of Trustees (BoT) and former President of the Senate, Adolphus Wabara; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Naaba, were also on ground. Also present were the House Minority leader, Ndidi Elumelu; Acting National Chairman, Amb. Damagum; former National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and other members of the party National Working Committee (NWC) and a host of other stakeholders of the party.
The Chairman of the occasion and former vice-president Namadi Sambo, while declaring the event open, urged the party members to close ranks and rescue Nigeria from ineptitude and bad governance.
