PDP weighs options over Wike’s open romance with APC
Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has disowned its list of National Campaign Councils for Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi governorship elections.
Party spokesman, Felix Morka, in a statement on Tuesday night said: “The attention of the All Progressives Congress has been drawn to National Campaign Council Lists for the 11th November, 2023 Governorship Elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states in circulation in sections of the media. The lists are not official documents of the Party and should be disregarded.”
According to report by Vanguard, APC had earlier on Tuesday evening set up three National Campaign Councils for the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states.
Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was Number 6 on the list released by the party for the Bayelsa. Wike had earlier been named by the PDP in its campaign council.
APC is not new to similar controversy as it had on October 19, 2022 named a PDP chieftain and Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani into its Presidential Campaign Council, PCC.
Nnamani, a former governor of Enugu state was Number 350 on the 422-member campaign council and was listed as a member of the local government directorate. Shortly after the list went viral in the media, the party reversed itself and dropped Nnamani.
In the governorship campaign lists released by APC on Tuesday evening, Gombe State governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, would chair the Bayelsa Campaign Council; Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu will chair the 138-member Imo Campaign Council while Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State will chair 135-member council for Kogi.
The three co-chairmen for Kogi are Governors Babajide Sanwo-olu (Lagos); Umar Bago (Niger) and Uba Sani (Kaduna). Imo has Ebonyi state Governor, Francis Nwifuru; Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as Co-Chairmen.
Bayelsa has Defence minister, Mohammed Badaru, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume as Co-Chairmen.
However, the APC has disowned the list.
PDP weighs options over Wike
Meanwhile, the PDP is in quandary over how to handle the open romance between Wike and the PDP.
Party officials have kept sealed lips over its plans on how to deal with what some described as the most brazen case of anti-party activity ever embarked upon by a party leader.
The situation took an unexpected turn for the worse with Wike being named as a leading figure in the National Campaign Council of APC.
This came even though the PDP had on August 2, 2023, named Wike as a member of its National Campaign Council for the same set of elections.
