Atiku, govs absent at PDP NEC meeting

The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and all the governors-elected on the platform of the party were, yesterday, absent at its 85th Emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.

From the North East, Governors Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State were absent.

Ditto from the North West, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State was absent while from the North Central, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his Kwara State counterpart, Ahmed Abdulfattah were conspicuously absent.

Similarly, from the South South, Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta; Ben Ayade of Cross River; Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom; Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State were absent at the meeting.

In the South East, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; and Chigozie Ikoeazu of Abia State were absent.

However, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said Atiku and the governors were absent because they were preparing for Saturday’s rerun polls.

“Obviously, we are in election season. So, you can’t blame anybody. We are in election season. So, we don’t have anybody to blame at all,” Secondus said.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting which lasted for several hours, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the NEC discussed issues relating to this Saturday’s rerun elections and how to “reclaim” the party’s presidential mandate.