PDP: Atiku Will Never Shy Away from Engaging Nigerians

•Former Vice President, Mohammed meet over party crisis

•Emmanuel never contemplated resigning as our chair, says campaign

Chuks Okocha in  Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would never avoid any opportunity to explain his rescue plans for Nigeria.

This is as the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, yesterday, met with Atiku in Abuja over the allegations of face-off between them.

At the same time, the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, yesterday, stated that the rumour being bandied to suggest that the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, resigned or contemplated to resign his appointment as the Chairman of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council was fake news.

Speaking on ARISE NEWS Channel, spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said while other candidates might be shying away from engaging Nigerians on the issues that bothered the nation, Atiku and PDP hierarchy were mindful of the need to tell Nigerians what it intended to do to take Nigeria out of the abyss orchestrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Atiku’s absence at the town hall presidential series, organised by ARISE NEWS in collaboration with Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Sunday, he said Atiku was already outside the country on a scheduled visit and had to seek the permission of the organisers to allow his running mate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, represent him.

“Our party was also communicated to like other parties and you do know that our candidate has never shied away from interfacing with Nigerians which is why we are the only party at the moment that has been very busy with campaigns across the length and breadth of this country. You will also recall that he has held several interface through different fora like the LCCI, which the APC candidate refused to attend.

“We were also in Kaduna for the Arewa, Enugu for the South-east and Ibadan for the South-west, and many other interface including the youths, so, Atiku will never shy away from such engagements, because he is very clear on what he wants to do in line with his ‘Covenant with Nigerians’.

“But in the case of this particular townhall meeting, you will recall that our presidential candidate traveled to the United States to have engagement with stakeholders as it affects our desire to start off work by the grace of God when elected from day one.”

Meanwhile, following reports of alleged crisis between Mohammed, who is the vice-chairman of the Northeast flank of the PDP presidential campaign and Atiku, over what was claimed as the marginalisation of the governor by the candidate, the two have met.

The reports were exacerbated by a leaked letter in which the governor was reported to have complained of a conspiracy between Atiku and the governor’s local rivals in Bauchi.

Mohammed, according to the reports, had threatened to step down from his campaign activities at the presidential campaign level and to focus on his re-election.

Atiku was alleged to have been peeved with Mohammed for refusing to stepdown during the PDP primaries and that the candidate had carried it to the extent of having not visited only him among the PDP presidential aspirants.

It was against this backdrop that, Mohammed flew into Abuja yesterday and went straight to a meeting, where both men engaged one another and were believed to have resolved the issues.

“Governor Bala Mohammed was with Atiku  and I can assure you he is also going to be part of a top level management strategy meeting of the Atiku Campaign that is taking place this night,” a source said.

This nonetheless, the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, which dismissed rumour that Emmanuel contemplated resigning as campaign chairman said, “Our Campaign assures Nigerians as well as all pro-democracy and development partners that such idea is not in the contemplation of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel.”

One of the spokespersons of the PDP campaign,  Kola Ologbondiyan Spokesperson, said, “Governor Udom Emmanuel, this afternoon at the Flag-off of the PDP Governorship Campaign, which held at the Nest of Champions Stadium, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Capital, declared that the rumour is a lie ‘from the pit of hell’ and that he remains the Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.

“The appointment of Governor Udom Emmanuel as Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, was predicated on his belief and commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ideals of our founding fathers as well as his unwavering confidence in our Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the leader that has the required capacity to lead the charge to rescue and rebuild our nation.

“Governor Emmanuel is effectively and committedly leading a successful campaign that will take our Party to victory and will not be distracted by the wishful thinking of the enemies of Nigeria.

“The Atiku/Okowa Campaign therefore urges Nigerians to ignore such shenanigans and fake news coming from the enemies of our nation, who are desirous of causing confusion in the polity with a view to derailing the electoral process.

“We caution those behind this wicked rumour to desist from such and know that they are fighting a lost battle as Nigerians across board are already rallying with the PDP and cannot be swayed by fake news,” he said.