From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded arrangement to send powerful delegation to visit aggrieved governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike to pacify him over being skipped by the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, in the choice of his running mate against all expectations.
The delegation is to be led by Atiku along with feanyi Okowa, vice presidential candidate and Delta State Governor. Others are PDP National Chairman, Iyochia Ayu; NWC, PDP BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril; representatives of BoT membership, current and past governors of the party, former ministers and elders of the party.
This was contained in a statement in Kaduna, yesterday, by the PDP BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, who said comments by some PDP members and prominent Nigerians on the choice of Okowa had become worrisome and needed to be addressed without further delay.
“It is very important to note that Governor Wike is very responsible and very obedient member of PDP who assisted tremendously toward building the party to what it is today. We must therefore encourage him to never leave the party. In the light of the above, I want to appeal to all P.D.P members and leaders to shun away from unorthodox comments aimed at reducing and running down the party. We must come together and unite ourselves as earlier established by our founding fathers.
“We should therefore shun any bad comment aimed at dividing us. We must be ready to forget and forgive ourselves by encouraging Nigerians to continue supporting us and our party.
“It is my strong appeal to all current and former Governors, former Presidents of Nigeria not to add more fuel into the fire but to always try to quench the fire from spreading.
“I have noted with a great concern and great sense of feeling on the various recent comments coming from some of our PDP members and some prominent Nigerians on the choice of Chief Okowa the Governor of Delta State as the Vice Presidential Candidate, by the Presidential Candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of our Party P.D.P the biggest party not only in Nigeria but the whole of Africa.
“All the comments and various submissions are very normal in any political set up in Nigeria today with P.D.P being the strongest and most prominent party that has all potentials to form Government in 2023. We must come back to our senses by all our members and all most responsible and respectful Nigerians by giving total support to the party to enable it form Government by holding all political positions in Nigeria in 2023.
“It is, therefore, very necessary that when our Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and our National Chairman, Senator Ayochia Ayu return to Nigeria very soon from abroad, the following must be done immediately,” Jibrin said.