Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his allies; including Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, boycotted the Peoples Democratic Party’s official flag-off of its presidential campaign in Akwa-Ibom on Monday.
Their absence might be related to their insistence that the PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, should step down.
Insisting that it does not represent the party’s national character, the Wike camp had maintained that it was unethical for the PDP to have a northerner as presidential candidate and national Chairman.
They also alleged that Ayu promised to resign after the PDP presidential primaries if a northerner emerged as candidate.
Ayu however vowed to stay on as the party’s national chairman and Atiku’s spokespersons hinted that the presidential candidate had no intention – or power- to force Ayu’s removal.
In September, it has been reported that Wike’s camp pulled out of the campaign council of the party’s presidential candidate.
According to them, Ayu must resign to allow for an acting National Chairman of Southern Nigeria extraction to emerge and lead the party’s National Campaign Council for Atiku in the 2023 general elections.
This came in spite of the vote of confidence passed on the Ayu-led National Working Committee by the recent meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party.
However, despite their absence, the PDP campaign flag-off took place at the Nest of Champions Stadium in Uyo on Momday.
Present were PDP chieftains, including the party’s presidential candidate and ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.
Others in attendance include; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, his Adamawa counterpart, Ahmadu Fintiri, and the former lawmaker representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye among others.
The PDP campaign is coming barely four months to the presidential election in 2023.
Meanwhile, Atiku, Okowa, Ayu and Emmanuel took turns to address the crowd in Uyo, pledging to rescue the country should the PDP be elected into office next year.
