The Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party has responded to claims by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had not consulted him before choosing representatives from the state to serve on his campaign council, IgbereTV reports
Kola Ologbondiyan, the council’s spokesman, made this clarification on Tuesday, during an interview.
On Monday, Wike stated that Atiku chose “enemies” of Rivers to be on his campaign council for the general elections in 2023 when he spoke at the launch of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
“Some people have asked me why is it that they don’t see the presidential candidate’s picture (and) the party chairman’s? I said what are you talking about? The presidential candidate entered my state and picked members of the presidential council without a whole governor of a state having a contribution.
“The presidential candidate entered Rivers State and picked those he wants to pick without the contribution of the governor. So, they said they don’t need me to campaign for them, that they don’t need Rivers people to campaign for them. Will you force yourself?,” Wike had disclosed.
However, the PDP Campaign Council revealed that the Rivers State chapter of the party, and Wike by extension, refused to send nominees after requests were made by Umar Bature, the National Organizing Secretary.
“I read the position of Governor Wike with regards to nomination in the campaign Council but let me state that the person who is in charge is Umar Bature, the National Organizing Secretary.
“Bature said that requests were made to nominate persons into the campaign council but the Rivers State chapter didn’t respond and the responsibility falls on the party and the National Organizing Secretary.
“Nonetheless, it is the purview of the candidate to nominate advisers,” Ologbondiyan said.
