The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the chants of ‘Atiku, Atiku’, which rented the air at the PDP governorship campaign flag-off in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, telling the party members and supporters, who attended the event graced by G-5 Governors, that he heard them ‘loud and clear’.
The five aggrieved PDP governors, referred to as G-5, were in Ibadan to flag off Governor Seyi Makinde’s second term campaign. Makinde is a member of the group also referred to as the ‘Integrity Governors’.
Others include Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
The governors had fallen out with their party’s national leadership over the outcome of the presidential primary election that produced Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate for the 2023 elections. Therefore, his name was, obviously, the last thing they wanted to hear among their supporters at Thursday’s campaign rally, which held at popular Mapo Hall premises in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
While all the G-5 governors canvassed votes for all PDP candidates at National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly levels, Wike specifically told the crowd of party members and supporters that Governor Makinde will inform them later about which presidential candidate to vote for in the February 25 elections.
At that point, the crowd at the venue of the campaign rally reacted swiftly in open resistance to the G-5 directive with shout of ‘Atiku, Atiku’.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development via his verified Twitter page on Friday, the PDP presidential candidate said it took the loud voice of the crowd as a vote of confidence in him and the opposition PDP.
Atiku wrote: “Oyo State, I heard you loud and clear yesterday. I take it warmly as a vote of confidence in me and our great party, @OfficialPDPNig. 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 – AA.”