Tongues are still wagging over the absence of key Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors from the party’s rally organised in support of the party’s Osun State governorship candidate in yesterday’s election, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The rally, which was the final event ahead of the election, was designed to boost the party’s chances in the election.
Osun election
The governors who were not at the rally include Mr Seyi Makinde of Oyo State who is currently the only sitting PDP governor in the South-West, Chief Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Mr Samuel Ortom of Benue and Mr Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom.
While some attributed their absence to unresolved disagreements over the fallout of the selection of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as presidential running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, others blamed it on indifference, citing unverified “security reports” that the electoral process in Osun had been compromised.
Our correspondence gathered yesterday that the party hierarchy is still at odds about how best to assuage the feelings of governors who are aggrieved following the outcome of the party’s presidential primary and the selection of the running mate.
A top ranking member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was involved in the peace process, explained that the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku, would stop at nothing to ensure everyone is on board.
The source said:”We are aware that some of our governors put out statements and sent out aides to attend the rally but we cannot pretend that all is well.
“We know people’s egos are still bruised as a result of a series of events before, during and after our presidential primary. We have been reaching out and had hoped that our governors, irrespective of how they are feeling, will use the Osun rally to tell the ruling party that our party is supreme. We will not give up, we have a series of meetings lined up and these issues will be addressed.”
However, former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused PDP detractors of trying to make a mountain out of a molehill over the physical absence of some of the party’s governors.
He pointed out that the PDP is one big family, noting that, like in all large families, there were bound to be disagreements which, more often than not, are resolved for the greater good.
Ologbondiyan said, apart from a number of them who were out of the country for prior engagements, Emmanuel could not attend because of “circumstances beyond his immediate control.”
He stressed that the naysayers conveniently ignored the fact that the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwual, and his Edo State and Bayelsa State counterparts, Godwin Obaseki and Duoye Diri, respectively, as well as Atiku, among other dignitaries, were present.
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to Oyo State Governor, Taiwo Adisa, explained that his principal had prior engagements abroad but left standing instructions to provide “logistics support for party dignitaries who will be coming in through the Airport in Ibadan.”
Speaking in a similar vein, the Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Mr. Nathaniel Ikyur, said, “His Excellency the Benue State Governor, as you know, is still on official assignment abroad. He is due back next week by God’s Grace.”