Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar on Friday hailed Oyo residents who chanted his name at the campaign flag-off of Governor Seyi Makinde.
While speaking atcthe rally, Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike told the crowd at Mapo Hall that they should vote for PDP candidates at all levels.
“Vote for Seyi, vote for PDP senators, vote for the house of reps candidates, the other one (president), Seyi will come to you,” he said.
As he was emphasising that Makinde will tell them who to vote for as president, the Rivers Governor was disrupted by chants of “Atiku, Atiku”.
Reacting Friday morning, Atiku said on twitter that he heard the Oyo State residents “loud and clear”, adding that he takes it as a “vote of confidence.”
Atiku said: “Oyo State, I heard you loud and clear yesterday. I take it warmly as a vote of confidence in me and our great party, PDP. You proved that my love for the Pace-Setter State over the years is not in vain.
“My promise to you is this: we shall work closely together in the mission to Recover Nigeria.”
Last Thursday, four governors of the PDP – Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ipeazu (Abia), and Nyesom Wike (Rivers) – were in Oyo to support Makinde.
Known as G5, the five PDP governors have been absent from the campaign rallies of Atiku and are demanding the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the party.
The demand for Ayu’s resignation is on the grounds that the party’s presidential candidate and national chairman cannot be from the same region.
The governors said they will reveal who they intend to support as president before the end of January.
PDP Salutes Oyo People
The PDP on Friday saluted the commitment and courage of the people of Oyo State for their support for Atiku and all other candidates of the party in the 2023 general elections.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party commended the tenacity of its members and supporters in Oyo State “for expressing their support for Atiku at the flag-off of the PDP Governorship Campaign in Oyo State on Thursday, January 5, 2023, in defiance of attempts to dictate their electoral preference.”
Ologunagba said: “The overwhelming chanting of “Atiku! Atiku!” by the resilient crowd in rejection of a request that they follow the dictate of some individuals in the Presidential election summarily conveyed, in one voice, their non-negotiable resolve to vote Atiku as the next President of our country.”
He described the people of Oyo State as independent-minded and political savvy “who have again demonstrated their sobriquet as Pace-setter in the politics of Nigeria by establishing that power lies in the Will of the people and not the endorsement or dictate of any person or group of persons.”
Ologunagba said, “The expression of the people of Oyo State at the flag-off event firmly signposts and reaffirms the support of the South West Geo-Political Zone for Atiku and all our candidates in the South West and across the country.”
The PDP counseled “those seeking to dictate to Nigerians on their electoral preferences” to retrace their steps especially now that it is clear that the people are not ready to be swayed by personal, group or sectional consideration in their support for Atiku Abubakar and the PDP.
Ologunagba said, “Nigerians across board have found in Atiku Abubakar the desired integrity, cognate experience, capacity, ability, mental alertness, presence of mind, Pan-Nigeria deportment and required Will Power to unify and lead our nation at this critical time.
“Our Party therefore charges the people of Oyo State, the South-west Zone and all Nigerians to remain firm in their resolve by coming out en-masse to vote, as well as take every measure available in a democracy to protect their votes in the overall quest to rescue our nation from the maladministration of the APC and return her to the path of national stability, peace, economic prosperity and happiness of all that Atiku Abubakar embodies.”
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