PDP South-South Governors Back Atiku-Okowa Presidential Candidacy As Wike Absent

By Damilare Adeleye
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The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike was absent on Wednesday as South-South Governors under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) endorsed the presidential ambition of the party’s flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa for the forthcoming polls.

The meeting which was held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital on Wednesday, has the attendance of governors Godwin Obaseki (Edo State), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta State), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom State) and their host Duoye Diri (Bayelsa State).

The Rivers State governor, who is leading the PDP G-5 group, was conspicuously absent from the meeting.

Recall that the governor and his allies had vowed not to support Atiku if the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu refuses to resign from office.

The aggrieved governors have condemned northern dominance in key positions in the party.

While addressing newsmen after the meeting yesterday, Governor Obaseki said they met to support Atiku and Okowa ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The Edo State Governor added that the South-South PDP governors also met in Bayelsa to commiserate with their colleague whose state was ravaged by floods recently.

Obaseki said, “We have a PDP South-South Governors Forum and our vice presidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa is our Chairman and we decided to host a meeting of the Forum in Bayelsa this evening to have an opportunity to come and visit our brother who has gone through so much in the flooding crisis we have here.

“It also afforded us an opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest to us PDP governors ahead of the next presidential and national elections.

“We also want to use the opportunity to come and show support and also find out from our brother, the vice presidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa on the goings on on the national level and to reiterate our total support for the candidacy of President Atiku Abubakar and to assure them that we are here.’'