Opposition party bows to pressure, postpones event
Contrary to expectations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is the real pain in the neck of the main opposition, internal wrangling is actually rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It was gathered that the PDP had earlier fixed its campaign rally for the same day and same venue with the ruling APC, slated for Saturday, September 5, 2020.
This created controversies among the two parties and contenders in the October election with the PDP accusing the ruling party of using the power of incumbency and the Federal Government to repress opposition.
But strong indications emerged, yesterday, that the postponement of its campaign was due to the suppressed cold war between some PDP governors and the party’s governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede.
According to sources, who pleaded anonymity, the internal crisis is already threatening the early preparations for the October 10, 2020 election.
It was reliably gathered that the development was responsible for the postponement of the campaign flag-off in a tweet by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who doubles as the Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council.
A fresh statement yesterday by Secretary of the National Campaign Council, Abdullahi Hussaini MaiBasira, said that the rally had been postponed by one week. The event now holds on September 12, 2020.
A former member of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) said that the change of date might not be unconnected with the refusal of some of the PDP governors to give “full commitment to the Ondo project.”
“The decision of the national campaign committee to postpone the rally has no link with the decision of the APC to hold its own rally on the same date but the inability of the party’s national leadership to reconcile Jegede and some PDP governors.
“Some PDP governors have vowed to shun invitations for the Jegede campaign flag-off in Akure, the state capital, following his alleged refusal to pick one of the party’s governorship aspirants, who participated in the July 22, 2020, gubernatorial primary, as his running mate.”
The PDP chieftain noted that “holding the exercise this Saturday would have exposed us that we are not together because only one governor would have attended.
“Didn’t you observe that on the day of the Campaign Council inauguration in Abuja, Governor Makinde was the only PDP governor at the event?
“I can tell you that before the party chose Makinde as the chairman for the campaign, some PDP governors were approached to lead the campaign council but they turned down the offer.
“Makinde only summoned the courage to lead that battle because Jegede is one of his lawyers and a maternal relation from Akure where Jegede hails from.”
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