PDP denies northern govs’ alleged support for Buhari

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday denied reports that it’s governors in the North West and North East were campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Maj.General Muhammadu Buhari.

   Addressing a press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, PDP’s National Chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Muazu, and some governors, also declared that the party still believed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo knew the implication of engaging in anti-party activities and would avoid this.

   The PDP also advised leaders of the APC to stop propaganda messages and concentrate on issue-based campaigns‎.

   Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, who spoke on behalf of the governors said reports of alleged anti-party activities by governors from the North were sponsored by the APC to cause crisis within the PDP.

   Akpabio said, “I want to advise those who want to win elections by all means, they should try to eschew bitterness and violence. They should strive to stop this mindless propaganda. No PDP governor is working for the opposition and all of us are going to deliver our states to the PDP and for those of you journalists who may be in doubt, note that this is not our first election. The PDP is well grounded and I want to assure you that we are going to win the presidential election.‎”

   On the alleged endorsement of Buhari by Obasanjo, Muazu said: “I do not believe that Obasanjo actually endorsed Buhari‎ because he remains one of our revered leaders. I have no doubt that he will not do anything anti-party‎ because in his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, he talked about this. By my record, he is still a member of PDP, so I am sure he will not do anything anti-party.”

   Muazu also said that the PDP was still confident that the Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would conduct a free and fair election.

   He said the postponement of the elections were within the law. ‎

   Present at the press conference were ‎Governors Idris Wada of Kogi, Gabriel Suswam, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Liyel moke of Cross River, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and House of Representatives’ speaker, Emeka Ihedioha.