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A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Presidential Campaign Council in Oyo State, Alhaji Mikhail Majekodunmi Aborode has debunked news that Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, financed the party’s recent presidential campaign rally in Ibadan, the state capital
Recall that a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Diran Odeyemi haf said Makinde financed Atiku’s rally in Ibadan, adding that the fovernor is not working against the interest of the party’s presidential candidat, Atiku Abubakar.
Makinde and Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) had resigned their membership of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in September 2022, in protest against Iyorchia Ayu’s continued stay as the national chairman of the party.
Led by Wike, the governors insisted that Ayu should resign from his position following Atiku’s victory at the presidential primary in May 2022, to make room for regional balance in the distribution of national and party offices in line with the PDP constitution.
The aggrieved governors, who formed the Integrity Group, were expected to name their preferred candidate this month but their inability to agree on a common choice has left them unable to declare their stand.
Reacting to Odeyemi’s claim, Aborode noted that Makinde had on many occasions proclaimed himself as political antagonist to PDP presidential candidate, Abubakar.
He recalled the atatement made by the governor during an interview on Channels Television on Friday evening as one of the pointer that Makinde is not in support of Atiku’s presidential ambition.
Aborode noted that the during the interview, the governor said that he didn’t attend Atiku’s campaign rally in Ibadan because he had already pulled out, adding that the governor claimed he pulled out of the Atiku Campaign Council to send a significant message to the leadership of the party.
“How can a governor who didn’t only showed his body language but publicly proclaimed his antagonism to Atiku would as a NEC member saif he is playing smart and working for Atiku?
“On who financed the campaign rally, it is a public knowledge that Atiku Abubakar and his Campaign Organisation in Oyo State released money for the rally logistics in Ibadan. Makinde only provided an enabling peaceful environment and not financial backing. And as you know in Nigeria, the security is provided and personnel are being directed on what to do centrally.
“It is written in the newspapers and online platforms how the money was disbursed for the running of the campaign rally. I wonder where Diran Odeyemi got his information that Governor Seyi Makinde financed it.
“As a member of national presidential campaign council for Atiku Abubakar, i will like to correct this misleading information that what Diran Odeyemi said while speaking with Saturday PUNCH is false and aimed to distract members of the public from nothing but the truth,” Aborode added.
