Makinde shuns Atiku/Okowa's rally in Ibadan

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Thursday boycotted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign rally held by Atiku Abubakar in Ibadan, the state capital.

Mr Makinde is one of the five dissident governors of the PDP who have been staying away from Atiku’s campaigns.

The governors are demanding the resignation of the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, as a condition to support Atiku’s presidential ambition.

The rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan started around noon and ended around 4 p.m.

The presidential candidate, Atiku, and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, were accompanied to the rally by five state governors. They are Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

National leaders of the party that attended the rally include former Vice President Namadi Sambo, the wife of the presidential candidate, Titi Abubakar, and a former senator from Kogi State, Dino Melaye.

Atiku will win South-west states – AdelekeGovernor Adeleke, while addressing the rally, expressed optimism that the PDP presidential candidate will be victorious in all the six South-west states in the election.

The party currently has only two governors in the region, including Mr Adeleke who was elected in July after defeating the incumbent governor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I have seen the high level of turnout and goodwill the PDP enjoys across Yorubaland. This was demonstrated in Osun State when I was massively voted into office. The light of grace started in Osun and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is spreading it to all parts of South West and Nigeria,” he said.

“Yorubas will support Atiku/Okowa candidacy because he is the most experienced, most tested, and the most stable to protect the interests of all Nigerians. Yorubas want an all-inclusive Nigeria and only Atiku can deliver on that,” he added.

“Osun State will vote PDP. Same for Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos states. Atiku’s blueprint is the only one that can take Nigeria out of the wood”, Governor Adeleke declared.”

Governor Adeleke urged Nigerians to vote massively for the PDP presidential candidate in the February presidential election.

“Next month is around the corner. Vote PDP at all levels. Secure your future. Osun people have shown the template. We must copy Osun State. Osun State hosts the cradle of Yorubaland and Osun is now PDP enjoying rule of law, due process, and good governance.”