Gov Ugwuanyi absent as Atiku campaigns in Enugu

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State was conspicuously absent from the presidential campaign rally. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the country.

PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, and other party leaders were in Enugu on Tuesday for a campaign rally ahead of the February 25 polls.

Although the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Cecelia Ezeilo, attended the rally, she did not say that she was representing the governor at the event.

Besides Mrs Ezeilo, members of the party’s State Working Committee, the senator representing Enugu North District, Chukwuka Utazi, and the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, were all in attendance.

Others are the Speaker of the Enugu House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, and the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Peter Mbah, who was presented with the party flag during the rally.

Governor Ugwuanyi’s absence from the rally is linked to the ongoing dispute between the G5 governors and the PDP national leadership.

G5, a group of aggrieved PDP governors, is led by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

The governors are concerned about the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku and the national leadership of the party.

Apart from Messrs. Wike and Ugwunayi, other members of the group include Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue), Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State) and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde.

The grouping came after the PDP presidential primaries, where former Nigerian vice president, Mr. Atiku, defeated Mr. Wike and others to become the party’s presidential candidate.

The group demanded the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to pave the way for a southerner to lead the party to achieve “regional balance”.

The governor’s argument is that Messrs. Ayu and Atiku are from northern Nigeria.

Atiku snubs the deputy governor of Enugu

Mr. Atiku caused controversy during a rally when he insulted Mrs. Ezeilo, the deputy governor, who approached him to exchange pleasantries after he finished addressing the rally.

“Since 1999, we have been doing it and this will not be a different case. I am asking you all, as we have done, let us do it again,” Mrs. Ezeilo told the crowd at the rally.

When he stepped down from the podium and went to where Mr. Atiku was sitting and extended his hand to greet him, the PDP candidate ignored him.

The deputy governor returned to his seat without shaking hands with Mr. Atiku.

A member of the PDP, who asked not to be named, told PREMIUM TIMES that apart from Mr. Atiku’s disagreement with the G5, of which Governor Ugwuanyi is a member, the former vice president is not happy because the vice governor did not specifically ask the people. to vote for him in the February 25 poll.

“Did you hear his canvass to vote for Atiku? The answer is no. He was just playing around with words. I believe in my heart that he is loyal to the principal (Mr. Ugwuanyi),” PDP said.

Speech song

There was commotion, during the rally, when the PDP National Chairman, Mr. Ayu, asked the people to reject the Labor Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, and vote for all PDP candidates in the 2023 general election.

“Since 1999, Enugu has always voted for PDP. I believe that in 2023, you will still vote for PDP from top to bottom. In the next 11 days, Atiku will win the presidency and Ifeanyi Okowa the vice president.”

“Those who come to deceive you into voting for another party called Labor Party. They are deceiving you because a vote for Labor Party is a vote for APC and I can tell you that voting for APC will not solve Nigeria’s problems,” Mr. Ayu said, adding that Mr. Grandma will work with Mr. Atiku when both sides. win the general election.

There were heavy discordant chants from the crowd when the PDP chairman spoke.

“Not! Not! Not!” the crowd shouted, apparently disagreeing with the call to reject the LP candidate in the February 25 general election.