Atiku, governors absent at NEC meeting as PDP strategizes ahead of rerun polls

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and all the governors elected on the platform of the party, were on Wednesday absent at the 85th emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party held in Abuja.

This is coming barely a month after the party lost the presidential election based on results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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

In the North West, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwa of Sokoto state was absent while in the North Central, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state and his Kwara state counterpart Ahmed Abdulfattah were conspicuously absent.

Similarly, in 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 also absent at the meeting.

In the South East, Governors David Umahi of Ebonyi state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, Okezie Ikpeazu 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 this 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, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the NEC discussed issues relating to this Saturday’s rerun elections and how to “reclaim” the party’s presidential mandate.

Present at the NEC meeting were former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki; former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka; former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara and former governor of Niger state,  Babangida Aliyu.

Others were former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; Senators Abiodun Olujimi, Grace Folashade Bent; former governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada; former governor of Cross River state, Liyel Imoke; and a BoT member, Chief Tom Ikimi, among others.