Atiku calls off South-South campaign

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji  Atiku Abubakar, has put off his campaign which was originally scheduled for flag off on Tuesday, January 8.  

The postponement was brought about by the inability of the PDP governors in the zone to work together on how to drive Atiku’s presidential campaign and  “organize a bigger rally.”

Atiku who had been in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for some days, returned home yesterday  to rejig his campaign against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

A top source said: “Despite Atiku’s personal outreach, there are still some gaps to fill especially lack of trust between old PDP and the defectors from APC.

“Also, some of those who were instrumental to Atiku’s emergence have developed cold feet because of alleged campaign of non-inclusion. One of them just withdrew to himself and relocated to London in the past few weeks.”

Announcing the Port Harcourt rally postponement, Oraye St Franklin, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant for New Media, said it was caused by “logistical constraints.”

His words: “We wish to inform our teeming supporters from across the South-south of the shift in date of the much anticipated PDP South-south rally.

“This is to enable us organise a bigger, better and defining rally in the history of Nigerian politics, given that the South-South is the natural home of the People’s Democratic Party.

It was also gathered that the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will be meeting leaders of the party in the South-South zone in the coming week to once again discuss the mounting challenges being faced by his campaign in the zone.

Those in attendance at the meeting were Atiku, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House of Reps, Yakubu Dogara and governors of Rivers, Abia, Cross River, Kwara, Sokoto and Ebonyi. Others include the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, PDP vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former governors Ayo Fayose and Liyel Imoke.

Also in attendance were the party’s National Chairman Uche Secondus, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, Senator Olaka Nwogu, Hassan Saleh and several members of the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Special Assistant on Public Communications to Atiku, Mr. Phrank Shuaibu denied knowledge of any difficulty in campaigning in the Southsouth or Southeast.

He said: “The campaign is on course, the timetable was only adjusted.”Jonathan opted to support the two candidates and the House of Assembly candidates in his zone following the humiliation of his preferred nominees at the PDP primaries.