By Simeon Mpamugoh
Chairman of coalition of all Atiku support groups in Lagos, Mark Iheanyi, has decried alleged lack of campaign materials for about 800 support groups in the state.
He said the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, risks loosing over four million votes from the state if nothing is done to end what he described as “the lingering denial of campaign materials and grants.”
The coordinators lodged a complain that coordinators of the groups in Lagos and some South West states were using their money to facilitate members to all PDP rallies without grants from campaign headquarters.
Noting that the leadership of the party has never told the support groups they would not be compensated for their efforts, Iheanyi declared that the tactical manner they were going about it needed to be re-examined.
“Even when PDP leaders had a meeting with the coordinators of the groups in Lagos, they went home disgruntled.
“Something has to be done fast before our members are demoralised and forced to abandon the campaign.
“Given the 6.6 million voting population of Lagos state, we require, at least, two campaign buses for each of the three senatorial zones,” he said.
Iheanyi, who is also the founder/national chairman, Atiku Leadership Forum, Lagos, said the priority of the coalition is to win February 16 presidential election, adding that until the inner eyes of leaders in PDP were opened to the realities, this kind of subtle, but frustrating reactions from the coordinators and their members would lead to failure.
He warned the leadership and Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCO) against anything that would slow down the tempo of the campaign, to avoid losing these groups, and the election in Lagos State.
He recalled that the Deputy Director, support groups APCO, Oladimeji Fabiyi, has visited the group twice in Lagos, adding that during the PDP’s presidential candidate’s last visit to youths in
Lagos, the coalition mobilised over 2,400 people that made the event memorable.