Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has said he will not hesitate to withdraw from the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) if the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar fails to publicly disown those working against him and declare support for his reelection come 2023.
Mohammed who is the vice chairman North in the PCC stated this in an eight-page letter he addressed to the national Chairman of the party, Senator Dr. Iyiocha Ayu.
There were however indications that Atiku had a meeting with the Bauchi State governor last night.
Recall that Ayu and some party chieftains had recently visited the Bauchi State governor. Although the close-door visit had raised concerns, the party leaders dismissed any notion of fresh friction within their ranks.
The party had been battling with the group of five governors namely, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and his Abia, Oyo, Enugu and Benue counterparts, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Samuel Ortom. They had recently intensified their campaign against the party’s presidential candidate.
However, Governor Mohammed’s letter which was gotten by LEADERSHIP, reads in parts; “the protest letter has been necessitated by the treachery targeted at his person and office undoubtedly endorsed directly or indirectly by the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON. In this game of political mischief, he is in league with some political stakeholders from Bauchi state who have constituted themselves into a “Bala must go” conspiracy.
“The arrowheads of the treacherous scheme against me includes former governor’s, some political elders and other foot soldiers, unfortunately for them, because of the goodwill I have with the people, most of their mischievous plans get to be revealed to me before they start implementing.
“While Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his political cohorts insist that i must be punished for contesting against him during the presidential primary of our party, the self aclaimed king makers around the Wazirin Adamawa wants a pound of flesh from me because I have refused to capitulate to their unbridled sense of entitlements which is pregnant with selfishness and dictatorial tendencies, the last group of the “Bala must go” campaigners are those who ego has been bruised by my continued political relevance, rising national profile and grounds swell of public acclamation that has trailed unprecedented developmental strides of the PDP led administration in the state”
The Governor in the protest letter which was personally signed by him and endorsed by 33 major stakeholders in the state including the deputy governor, Speaker, former senators, Speakers, Council Chairmen and the entire State party executives in the state, former national officers of the party from the state and other relevant chieftains in the state said, he has complained severally to the Presidential candidate and his running mate and some party elders but no favourable action taken.
He demanded therefore that, “The presidential candidate issue a public statement disowning those renegade elements who are neck deep in the anti-party plots of subverting my reelection efforts and to admonish members of our party to reject the dubious overtures and manipulative strategies of my detractors.
“Anything short of this complete public repudiation of this incongruities within a reasonable time frame coupled with explicit guarantee of sincerity of purpose and public support of my reelection by the presidential candidate, I may withdraw from the presidential campaign council and feel free to create new measures and strategies that will guaranttee election or reelection of all PDP candidates in Bauchi state and myself” he stressed.
Meanwhile, barely 48 hours the group of fivePDP governors launched an attack against the campaign of their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu has said the party still stands a good chance of winning the 2023 presidential election.
Although he said the window for reconciliation is still open, he added that the opponents of PDP are not in the party.
He added that the 2023 presidential election is PDP’s to lose because of Atiku’s preparation and network across the country as well as APC’s legacy of shame.
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and his Abia, Oyo, Enugu and Benue counterparts, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Samuel Ortom, had in Benue launched an attack on Atiku’s campaign.
Ayu’s comments comes barely days after Atiku said he has moved on in light of the agitations of the five governors.
Ayu who has been at the center of the crisis further stoked the crisis recently when he declared that he could have stopped some candidates from participating in the polls if he wanted to.
Recall that the five governors had insisted on Ayu’s resignation as a condition to support Atiku’s presidential bid. They had called for a southerner national chairman in place of Ayu, a northerner.
But speaking through his special adviser on Media and Communication, Simon Imobo-Tswam, yesterday, Ayu said the in spite of the governors’ stance the PDP candidate is poised to win the 2023 presidential poll.
He said with the election still about four months away, the PDP has time to resolve all the issues in its folds before the presidential poll.
“So, at the moment, we are still talking. The cards are on the table and we are still appealing to every aggrieved stakeholder, that crisis in a family did not have to go on for ever. Our opponent is the APC and that is where our focus is.
“Yes, in spite of the opposition of the five Governors, PDP will still win. Why do I say so? Elections are not going to be heard tomorrow, we are still talking, the window is still open and our message is that of diplomacy, with reconciliation we are stronger. We may have issues in the party but our eyes are on the ball. That is our focus, our opponents are not in PDP, they are outside PDP. They are APC.
On his personal faceoff with Ortom and the intervention of the traditional council in the state, he said, “I cannot speak for the Tor Tiv, but this is a family affair and the party is managing it, activating the internal crisis resolution mechanism, so when it gets beyond the family, maybe we can begin to talk about the Tor Tiv.
“Tor Tiv is the father of all so if you bring them into a PDP matter you will risk the APC saying the Chief is a PDP monarch, so at the moment, we are still talking, the cards are on the table and we are still appealing to every aggrieved stakeholder, that crisis in a family did not have to go on for ever. Our opponent is the APC and that is where our focus is.”
Ayu Should Not Allow History To Repeat Itself -Nwuke
A former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, has cautioned the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, not to allow history to repeat itself in the life of the party.
He recalled that in 2015, the PDP, which was the national ruling political party, lost the presidential election to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) after five PDP governor dumped the party.
Nwuke, who spoke with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital yesterday, however said he wished Ayu well if he believes the PDP can win the presidential election without five governors.
The former federal lawmaker said: “I think that Ayu is entitled to his opinion. English says the taste of the food is in the eating. So, we wish him luck, but he should look at history.
“History is about to repeat itself because some persons have become arrogant and out of touch with reality. In 2015, five governors pulled out of the PDP and the government was in power lost control at the election.
“Now, in 2022, you are going forward for an election, five governors appeared very dissatisfied with the way things is being done particularly in ensuring some balance, regional balance on the South-North basis.
“And a serving Chairman can beat his chest and tell the world that five governors, five states, controlled by the PDP doesn’t matter. We wish him luck.
“Like I said in the beginning, Ayu is entitled to his opinion, but his opinion may not reflect on what is going to happen on ground if utmost care is not taken.”
I Won’t Resign As Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council Chair – Emmanuel
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state yesterday debunked rumour making the rounds that he was nursing plans to resign his position as the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in 2023.
Emmanuel cleared the air yesterday at the Chief Godswill Akpabio International stadium (Nest of Champions), Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital at the flag -off of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) governorship candidate, Pastor Umo Eno, who was presented with the flag for the polls.
“I remain the chairman of Atiku/Okowa Campaigns Council. I am not going anywhere”, Emmanuel vowed, assuring that the PDP would coast home to victory, the reason he said those behind the rumour were afraid.
“There is no truth in the rumour; when I heard I know it’s a piece of fake news, I want everybody to understand that I have not resigned as the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council.”, he stressed, and urged party supporters, stakeholders and leaders not to be distracted by such campaigns of lies.
Addressing the PDP faithful drawn across the 31 Local Government Areas, Emmanuel enjoined the people the people to be in the vanguard of ensuring that the Eno emerges as the his successor next year, stressing that Akwa Ibom state that had been under the PDP since 1999, should be allowed to derail into the hands of the opposition.
The PDP, he added, has established a legacy of good governance in the last seven years, assuring that Eno, with his business ingenuity would sustain such development strides from 2023.
However, Eno, while receiving the flag, thanked governor Emmanuel for believing in him for the task of sustaining the tempo of development laid by successive administrations in the state and urged eligible voters to join the train to continue the laudable achievements of the outgoing governor Emmanuel’s administration.
Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, Others Listed For ‘The Candidates’ Presidential Town Hall Series
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, can=didate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party candidate Peter Obi are set to attend ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series.
The town hall series will commence on 17th November, 2022 and will be live on NTA, FRCN, Radio Now, DSTV, YouTube, Facebook, and more.
The town hall series is organised by Daria Media Concept, supported by the MacArthur Foundation, NTA, and YouTube. It will be a two-hour live televised town hall meeting series, of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the six leading political parties. These parties were selected using a combination of editorial judgement, aggregated polls by the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, occupation of elective offices, and presence across the country.
In a statement yesterday, the Africa director of the MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shettima said, “The foundation is privileged to support an opportunity for Nigerians to interact with the leading presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections.”
The Candidates’ Presidential town hall will take place as follows: Prince Adewole Adebayo and running mate, Yusuf Buhari, of the Social Democratic Party – 17th November, 2022.
Mr. Omoyele Sowore and running mate, Barrister Haruna Garba Magashi, of the African Action Congress Party –18th November, 2022. Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and running mate, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, of the New Nigeria Peoples Party -19th November, 2022.
Mr. Peter Obi and running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, of the Labour Party – 21st November 2022 Atiku Abubakar and running mate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of the People’s Democratic Party – 22nd November, 2022. Tinubu and running mate, Sen. Shettima Kashim of the APC – 23rd November 2022.
Kadaria Ahmed, a Nigerian broadcaster and journalist, will moderate each town hall. She has been moderating Presidential Debates and town halls since the 2011 elections.
CEO of Cabal Entertainment and executive producer of The Candidates, Obi Asika, said, “I am hugely excited to be working with Kadaria Ahmed, one of Nigeria’s most distinguished journalists and broadcasters with a long and impressive track record in print, Tv, and radio.
“We hope to deliver a town hall series that will make all Nigerians proud regardless of which candidate they support and we want to enable the best possible platform for all the leading candidates to come and share their best plans for Nigeria with Nigerians.”
According to him, the candidates will be a live streaming and live broadcast production, providing a unique platform for direct interaction between the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the leading political parties in Nigeria and her citizens.
“In the Candidates Presidential Townhall series, we are delivering six presidential town halls and seven pundit shows with leading national commentators hosting these conversations before each town hall. Each
edition of the series also has six remote locations in Nigerian
universities with live interactive audiences in Maiduguri, Enugu,
Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Kano & Abuja who will be part of the live town
hall series.
“There will be an audience of 100 people for each town hall, including
CSOs and the Diplomatic Corps, It will be an opportunity for Nigerians
to hear directly from the aspirants and to ask them questions on
governance and nation-building. The Candidates has partnered with
Zikoko Citizen to distill the conversation for the young, social media
engaged audience, and with Africa Fact Check to ensure accuracy and
accountability,” he said.
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