Leaders of the People’s Democratic Party, including former Federal Capital Territory (State) Minister Jumoke Akinjide and former Mines and Steel Development Minister Wole Oyelese, campaigned on Wednesday for the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. , in Ibadan, the capital of the state of Oyo.

Others who campaigned for the former vice president under the auspices of the National Mandate Group, Oyo State chapter, included former FCT Minister of State, the Hon. Olajumoke Akinjide; the former deputy governor of Oyo, Hazeem Gbolarumi, and the director of special functions of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Babalola (Jogor), among others.

Party supporters, youth, women and activists from across the state were seen on the main streets of the Ibadan metropolis marching with banners and campaigning for Atiku ahead of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Seyi Makinde, and his loyalists were conspicuous by their absence at the rally held to rally support for the former vice president.

the PUCNH had previously reported that Makinde and his loyalists were also absent from the press conference ahead of the Atiku Freedom March held at the Nigerian Journalists Union State Secretariat, Iyaganku, Ibadan on Tuesday.

The campaign for Atiku in Oyo was also ahead of the visit of the G5 governors to Oyo for the launch of Makinde’s re-election campaign on Thursday (today). The PDP G5 governors include Governors Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Seyi Makinde, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Rivers, Benue, Oyo, Abia and Enugu states respectively.

PUNCH had reported on Monday that Akwa Ibom state governor Udom Emmanuel’s moves to persuade aggrieved G5 governors to embrace peace may have backfired.

Wike, Ortom, Makinde, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi and some southern political heavyweights parted ways with the DPP presidential candidate over his alleged refusal to persuade DPP national chairman Iyorchia Ayu to step down after Atiku, a northerner, took over the presidency. party ticket.

But speaking to reporters during the campaign, Akinjide said that Atiku was a pan-Nigerian and would lift Nigeria out of its current socio-economic and political challenges.

“We will campaign for Atiku in Oyo on the basis of merit and on the basis of loyalty to our great party. There is really no division in the PDP. It is a fight for space. So, I don’t think the public needs to worry because the day they put on their makeup, they’d be on TV smiling and patting each other on the back and calling each other brother and you wonder why they spent so much energy on it.

“Let’s face what worries 200 million Nigerians, which is Atiku’s five-point agenda to recover and restore Nigeria.

“Our presidential candidate promises to unite Nigeria, secure the country, build a prosperous economy, restructure and return power to the federative units and an education system that allows our people to compete nationally and globally and these are core issues that are of interest to the Nigerian people.

Speaking about the visit of the G5 governors, Akinjide said, “On Thursday (today), we will have the governor’s meeting and inauguration. We all intend to be there too, but I want to say something: if some of tomorrow’s visitors come and speak against the PDP or Atiku, what are we going to say? No to his antics! We are brave people and we must show it tomorrow”.