Atiku, Okowa in Bauchi, receive defectors

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa; and the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, were in Bauchi State on Wednesday to receive defectors from other political parties.

Speaking at a North-East stakeholders’ meeting held at the Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall, shortly after the rally at the stadium Ayu, said he had received over 300,000 defectors into the PDP in Bauchi State.

Others who attended the event were the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal and former Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Governors of Bauchi, Bala Mohammed; Adamawa, Umaru Fintiri and that of Taraba, Darius Ishaku and their deputies were also in attendance.

Former governors of Jigawa, Sule Lamido; Adamawa, Boni Haruna and Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwambo; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; also attended among other dignitaries.

However, none of the governors and the PDP chieftains loyal to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was in attendance at the rally.

Ayu in a brief speech at the stakeholders’ meeting said the defectors were over 300,000.

He said, “I want to assure you, my brothers and sisters, that PDP is a united family, they will try to divide us but they will fail, stay united. If we were not attractive as a party, there won’t be so many defectors coming back to their party.

“Today, we received over 300,000 defecors into the PDP. I am to welcome all of them and to assure them that they will be treated as every other PDP member of the family, they will make us strong, they will make us capable because Bauchi state for example, is one of the key states in Nigeria.”