The Senator representing Enugu East senatorial district, Chimaroke Nnamani who is a former governor of Enugu State has decried the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ignore five of its governors as it commenced presidential campaigns for next year’s elections.
Africa Daily News, New York had earlier reported that the presidential campaign of the PDP which was earlier in the week flagged off in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, however, five of its governors – Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) had snubbed the event.
Their decision may not be unconnected to the continued stay of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s national chairman despite his promise to vacate the position if a northerner emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.
Months after the emergence of a northerner as presidential candidate, in the person of former vice president Atiku Abubakar, Ayu had yet to resign as national chairman.
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Reacting, Nnamani, in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, said the PDP leadership should have done more in a give-and-take manner to carry the aggrieved party faithful along.
The statement was titled ‘2023 PDP Presidential Campaigns: Ignoring Five Governors, Discouraging – Sen Nnamani.’
He said, ‘Today, I go on record in total condemnation of the treatment of the five governors mostly from the southern states within the PDP. The Governors are our leaders and their humiliation rubs off on all of us.’
Nnamani recalled that state governors were not treated with ignominy during his days.
He cautioned against erecting parallel structures in the five governors’ states stressing that ‘politics is local and the folks from these affected states parading with the PDP leadership will not deliver their polling booths without the governors.
‘Without the involvement of the governors that are our leaders, these mere cheerleaders and feel-good political operatives cannot deliver.
‘They can drag themselves from their home states to Abuja. Some are Abuja permanent residents. They dress the meetings and colour the rallies, but that is what it is, political colour dressing.’
Africa Daily News, New York reports that the crisis in the opposition party has continued to linger since June this year.
