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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has explained why he didn’t attend the presidential campaign flag off of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Monday.
Makinde was among the five PDP governors who boycotted the flag-off ceremony of the party’s presidential campaign for the 2023 elections.
Members of the party loyal to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had vowed not to take part in the PDP’s presidential campaign if the national chairman of the party, Sen Iyorchia Ayu,does not resign from his position.
Explaining his absence while fielding questions from state house correspondents after the swearing-in of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on Wednesday, Makinde said he had been busy campaigning for the party to win the 2023 general election in Oyo State.
“The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cart before the horse; the pertinent issue remains the Ayu leadership.
“We, therefore, resolve that Senator Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the national chairman for an acting chairman of southern Nigeria extraction. We resolved not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu,” he said.
Asked if there is still a crisis in the party that made him not attend the presidential campaign flag-off in Uyo, Makinde said he needed to be in Oyo rather than Uyo.
“I have been busy at home in Oyo State campaigning for everybody. Uyo is not where I need to put the votes together. It is in Oyo; so I stayed in Oyo,” he said.