The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday caused a stir in Michael Okpara Square, Enugu when he snubbed the female Deputy Governor, Mrs. Cecelia Ezeilo, who approached to greet him.
The incident occurred during the PDP presidential campaign rally in Micheal Okpara Squre Enugu ahead of the 25 February elections.
Mrs Ezeilo, the deputy governor, had approached Atiku to exchange pleasantries after she finished addressing the crowd at the rally.
When she walked down from the podium and headed to where Mr Atiku was seated and stretched out her hand to greet him, the PDP candidate ignored her.
The deputy governor returned to her seat without shaking Mr Atiku’s hands.
The Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is one of the G-5 governors aggrieved with Atiku, was absent at the campaign rally. But he was on ground to receive Atiku Abubakar who paid him a courtesy call at Government House,
The governors — Ugwuanyi, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia — are demanding the resignation of Ayu as the party’s national chairperson.
Our loyality to PDP not rewarding, traditional rulers told Atiku
Also during Atiku’s visit to the traditional rulers on a courtesy call before his campaign in the coal city, regretted that their support and loyalty for PDP over the past 22 years have only been rewarded with massive unemployment and insecurity.
The traditional rulers told Atiku who is again asking for their votes as the candidate of the party that they have not duly rewarded for their loyality to the party.
The PDP has been winning the presidential election, governorship and other elections in Enugu State since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
“After more than two decades of our support for the PDP, Enugu State has only unemployment, insecurity, dehumanisation of her indigenes by law-enforcement officers and the resultant youth restiveness to show for it,” the traditional rulers said in a statement by their Chairman Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, on Tuesday.
According to them, Enugu has recorded cases human rights abuses by law enforcement operatives among others in spite of the support of the people of the state for PDP in the past 22 years.
“A factual and undiluted political history of our country’s present republic will teach that the political party known as the PDP was midwifed by eminent and patriotic Nigerians known as the G-34.
“They did this under the leadership of the Second Republic vice-president, His Excellency, Dr Alex Ekwueme, an indigene of the Southeast geopolitical zone.
“PDP presidential candidates invariably made mouth-watering promises to our subjects who consequently voted massively for them.
“After more than two decades of our support for the PDP, Enugu State has only unemployment, insecurity, dehumanisation of her indigenes by law-enforcement officers and the resultant youth restiveness to show for it.
“It is against this backdrop that we welcome you on this courtesy visit and predictably we have received a sumptuous dish of often-repeated promises from you.
“If our late brother, Prof. Chinua Achebe, were to be here, he would have simply advised you to go and count your teeth with your tongue.
“Everything considered our hope of a better Nigeria compels us to remain engaged and pray for peaceful, free, fair and credible presidential election.
“We pray that the election produces the best candidate, irrespective of his political party,’’ the statement read.
Igwe Agubuzu, Nigeria’s former ambassador to Zambia and Malawi is also the Chairman, Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers.
Igbos can only be president after me, Atiku
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, insisted that the Igbo could only produce the Nigerian President after he has had a shot at the office.
The former Nigerian Vice President, who spoke in Enugu during his campaign rally said, “When I came to Enugu a few months ago for a town hall meeting, I told you that I am going to be the stepping stone to an Igbo President. And I mean that statement.
“Whether from the South-East or South-South, I am going to make sure that an Igbo becomes President after me as President because the Igbo is a universal race. That’s why I chose an Igbo man from Delta as my running mate.
“As you can see, Nigeria is geared towards a PDP government. So, the next Federal Government is going to be formed by the PDP. I appeal to Enugu people to make sure that you remain in the PDP so that you be in the mainstream and be part of that government.”
He expressed happiness with the crowd of supporters that welcomed him to the event, saying it was evident that the state was for the PDP.
However, deputy governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Cecelia Ezeilo; members of the State Working Committee of the party; member representing Enugu North, Senator Chukwuka Utazi; deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, and other notable personalities in the state were in attendance.
By Chidipeters Okorie
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