Apologise To Southern Govs, Step Down As Atiku’s Running Mate, Clark Tells Okowa
Elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked the Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to withdraw from being the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s running mate and as well apologise to his southern governor-colleagues for allegedly betraying them by accepting the position.
Clark at a press conference on Thursday accused Okowa of betraying the trust of his colleagues in the South by accepting the position having hosted a meeting of southern leaders demanding for the presidency to come to the South.
The leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) said, “I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfish ambition by wanting to land on a safer ground by accepting to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. No, by God’s grace your prayer will not be answered.
“Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria.
“In order to cover your nefarious plot, you voluntarily induced everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern Governors in Government House Asaba on Tuesday 11th May 2021. You gave them a very good reception and provided them a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State. It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded for Southern Presidency and insisted that none of you should accept to be a Vice President.
“…It would be recalled in 2007, that Delta State finances were used in funding part of the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were, therefore, not surprised when you too have decided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta people’s money because; there is nobody to challenge you. I repeat, you will not succeed.”
“It is, therefore, in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of becoming Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP.
Source:- Leadership
