Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday insisted that he did not lose the just concluded presidential election.
Speaking at a reception organised by the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDP-GF) for outgoing, re-elected, newly elected and former governors of the main opposition party yesterday in Abuja, he said the PDP must stay together and focus on how to regain what he described as its stolen mandate.
Addressing a packed hall of party stakeholders inside Transcorp Hilton, Atiku said, “We all know that the PDP did not lose the last election. So, we should be determined and focused on retrieving our mandate that has been stolen”. He also advised members to examine how the PDP receded from being the oldest and dominant political party in 1999 to its present status.
Also speaking, former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, called for peace and unity in the PDP, regretting that many of its state chapters have been bedevilled by crisis.
It was observed that some outgoing PDP governors among whom are four members of the G-5, including Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Sam Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), were noticeably absent at the event.
Also, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Akwa-Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel and Ahmadu Fintiri, of Adamawa State, and their Taraba State counterpart, Darius Ishaku, former governors Ayo Fayose and Olusegun Mimiko, of Ekiti and Ondo States, respectively, who were all scheduled to be honoured were also absent.
Similarly PDP governors that were absent, despite being slated for honouring, include ex-governors Ibrahim Dankwambo, of Gombe State, and Seriake Dickson, of Bayelsa State. Also absent were the PDP governors-elect of Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States, Siminialayi Fubara and Umo Eno, respectively.
Their counterparts: Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Calab Mutfwang (Plateau), Agbu Kefas (Taraba) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), however, graced the occasion.
The reception had as its theme: “Good Governance at the Subnational Level: Issues, Perspectives, Expectations and Outcomes”.
