With the exception of Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State and Emeka Ihedioha, a former aide to Atiku Abubakar who was also a deputy speaker of t
With the exception of Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State and Emeka Ihedioha, a former aide to Atiku Abubakar who was also a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, south east governors and other major political office-holders, yesterday, stayed away from the turbaning ceremony of former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the 7th Waziri Adamawa in Yola, Adamawa State, sparking fears of apparent disaffection within the party.
Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu; governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and other prominent political leaders from the South-East like deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu were noticeably absent at the ceremony yesterday. Most of them pegged their absence on previous commitments. There had been mutterings over the approach of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to South-East political office holders in the choice of his running mate, Mr Peter Obi who was at the ceremony.
The absence of the South-East governors came in the wake of concerns by senior officials of the party over the perceived disrespect Atiku had allegedly shown to the region’s political class since his emergence as the presidential candidate of the party. That perceived disrespect was first pronounced last month when Atiku announced Mr. Peter Obi as his running mate after consultations with some governors and prominent party officials without any South-East politician involved. An attempt to make up for the gaffe penultimate Wednesday stoked further controversy when Atiku met with South-East leaders in Enugu but without the political class. Neither Ekweremadu nor any of the PDP governors attended the meeting that was mostly graced by leaders of thought but who the politicians allege cannot deliver the votes.
The Wazirin Adamawa is the prime traditional office only next to the Lamido, who as the traditional ruler of the Yola emirate, is one of the paramount traditional rulers in Northern Nigeria. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the ceremony projected Atiku’s capacity to lead, saying he would not disappoint Nigerians. Other dignitaries present at the installation of Atiku as Waziri Adamawa were former president Goodluck Jonathan, Senate president Bukola Saraki, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Governors Ibrahim Dankwambo, Seriake Dickson, Darius Ishaku, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Gombe, Bayelsa, Taraba, Kwara states respectively.
Also present were PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; PDP Board of Trustees chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin; two-time governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; former Chief of Army Staff, General Kenneth Minimah (retd); ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi; the lawmaker representing Bayelsa East, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce; immediate past governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu and erstwhile governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna among others.
