PDP supporters shout ‘Atiku Atiku’ at G-5 govs rally for Makinde

Aggrieved five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, popularly called G-5, were on Thursday embarrassed by the shout of 'Atiku, Atiku' from the crowd of party supporters at a rally organised by the G-5 in Ibadan, Oyo State. Atiku Abubakar is the PDP presidential candidate for the February 2023 election. The Thursday's forum was the official launch of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s second-term bid. The governors had fallen out with their party’s leadership over the outcome of the presidential primary that produced Atiku. Thus, his name was, obviously, the last thing they wanted to hear among their supporters at Thursday’s rally. Thisday reports that when supporters were asked to vote other candidates of the party, to the exclusion of the former vice president, the crowd at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, venue of the rally, reacted swiftly in open resistance. The deafening cries of “Atiku” was a major blow to the G-5, comprising Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Makinde, and Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. And contrary to the widely held belief that the five governors were working against the main opposition party, Ortom said the group was still committed to the party. He said they were working round the clock to ensure that PDP won all elections in their respective states. In Abia State, PDP supporters in Ikpeazu’s hometown, affirmed their backing for Atiku, in yet another blow for the dissenting governors. But in Rivers State, Wike finally approved Atiku’s campaign in the state after an initial resistance. The G-5 governors, who were all in attendance at the Ibadan rally, in their separate remarks at the re-election campaign tagged, “Omituntun 2.0: Sustainable Development,” were silent on the candidate to support in the forthcoming presidential election. The Ibadan rally was well attended by party members from within and outside the state, hundreds of thousands of citizens, howeverIn his speech at the rally, Wike, who is the leader of the G-5, said, “Vote for Seyi, vote for the House of Representatives, vote for the House of Assembly. The other one, Seyi, would talk to you. No be so?” But in response, the crowd started shouting, “Atiku, Atiku, Atiku…” Even when Makinde mounted the podium and tried to douse the strong opposition chants by shouting “PDP”, the response from the crowd was “Atiku, Atiku, Atiku…” However, Ortom said the G5 governors and other members of the party working with them in the integrity group were “committed members of the PDP in their various states” and would work to ensure that candidates of the party in their states were elected in the forthcoming polls. The Benue State governor stressed that the problem of PDP at the national level was being prolonged by the failure of the party’s leadership to deploy its internal conflict resolution mechanism to settle issues that arose after the national convention.Ortom was full of praises for Makinde’s commitment to the development of Oyo State. He expressed optimism that the people of the state would return him for a second term. He thanked the people of Oyo State for their support for PDP and Makinde, pointing out that their massive turnout at the campaign flag-off was an indication that the election in March was a done deal for the party.Ortom said the G5 governors’ decision on the presidential candidate to support would be made public “at the appropriate time”. He declared that apart from the presidential election, the G5 governors would work for all PDP candidates in the 2023 general election. The Benue State governor stated, “We have challenges with our national leadership. They have failed to resolve the internal crisis in the party arising from the party’s national convention. We shall make our resolve on this known at the appropriate time.”Ortom asked the people of Oyo State to compensate Makinde with their votes for his good performance in the past three years and seven months by reelecting him in the March 11 election. Wike, on his part, said the people of Oyo State should await the directive of Makinde on who they should vote for in the February 25 presidential election. He said as far as he was concerned, there was no other political party in Oyo State apart from PDP.The Rivers State governor said the only way for the people of the state to appreciate Makinde was to vote for him.Makinde, in his remarks, appreciated the people and party faithful for entrusting the destiny of the state to him. He assured that more development projects and programmes will be witnessed in the state if he was reelected for another term of four years. Makinde said he jerked up the state’s internally generated revenue from about N1.7 billion to N3.8 billion as at November last year. He promised to do more for Oyo State and its people if reelected, saying he has fulfilled all his campaign promises in his first term.He stated, “In my first term, I promised you the following on agenda Omituntun 1.0 known as accelerated development: economic prosperity, education, improved infrastructure (Awotan, Akobo, Moniya/Ijaye Road), GSM salary date, safe and secure environment (Amotekun), gainful employment with total fulfillment.“My second term will be towards total socio-economic upgrade in the state. This is formally known as the Omituntun 2.0, a sustainable development.” The PDP supporters in the hometown of Ikpeazu avowed their support for Atiku. Earlier, the PDP governorship candidate in Abia State, Prof. Uche Ikonne, visited Atiku and pledged loyalty to him. PDP supporters in Obingwa Local Government Area said they had not only adopted, but also vowed to deliver Atiku in next month’s election. According to them, party remains supreme in everything, hence, they have no option than to support the party’s standard bearer as party faithful. In a campaign video, addressing party faithful and stakeholders at Abala Primary School, the chairman of PDP in Obingwa, Seth Agomuo, declared the loyalty and unflinching support of the party members for Atiku. Agomuo said PDP in the council would give their block votes to all the party’s candidates in the different elections. He said, “As a party chairman, and a true party man here in Obingwa, I want to clarify something. As far as I’m concerned, and a true party man, candidates have emerged after contested primary elections, such candidates now belong to the party and the party will support them. “That’s the truth. I’m a true party man. Whether you love the candidate or hate him, that doesn’t matter as long as he emerged from a primary election conducted by the party. “So, as far as I’m concerned and as far as I’m the PDP chairman in Obingwa, we shall only vote for PDP candidates, from Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to the Senate, House Representatives, governor, and state House of Assembly. “We are PDP and that’s our stand. We’re Igbos, but our party comes first before any other thing.” The G-5 governors had vowed that Atiku’s presidential bid would not get their full support unless the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu vacated his position for a southerner, to ensure equity in the party hierarchy.

PDP supporters shout ‘Atiku Atiku’ at G-5 govs rally for Makinde

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PDP supporters shout ‘Atiku Atiku’ at G-5 govs rally for Makinde

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