Ikpeazu didn’t snub Atiku – Abia PDP

Ikpeazu didn’t snub Atiku – Abia PDP

By Steve Oko

The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has refuted media reports that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, “snubbed” the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar when he visited South East PDP stakeholders in Enugu on Tuesday.

Abia PDP in a statement by its Vice Chairman, Abia North and Acting Publicity Secretary, Elder Abraham Amah, dismissed the said media report as  “misleading and the handiwork of mischief makers”.

According to the statement, Gov. Ikpeazu was already outside the country for official engagement when the notice for Atiku’s visit came, hence his inability to attend following the short notice.

The statement made available to Wawa News Global read in part:”The Abia PDP wishes to inform the public that this publication is not only misleading but a figment of the imagination of the publishers, and should not have gone to the print because it clearly speaks to the wishes and unimaginative desires of the opposition parties who want to see a PDP that is torn apart by crisis but they would be disappointed.

“For the sake of clarity, the notice for the meeting ( Atiku’s visit) came at a very short notice and the presidential candidate himself acknowledged this during his speech at the occasion and praised the organisers who mobilised the entire leadership and stakeholders of the South East PDP at such a short notice.”

Abia PDP explained that despite the Governor’s absence he was able to mobilise party stakeholders for the Enugu parley.

“Okezie Ikpeazu was already on official assignment outside the country when the notice for the meeting was released, yet he mobilised the entire structure of Abia PDP through the State Chairman Rt. Hon. Alwell Asiforo Okere and ensured full representation even as the governor himself led the delegation and was duly represented by the Abia State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu.

“Abia PDP governorship candidate Prof. Uchenna Ikonne and his running mate Barr. Okey Igwe, Abia PDP Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates were all in attendance to show their unalloyed support and commitment to the presidential candidate of the Party and the Party’s Five over Five Policy.”

PDP argued that if the Governor had wanted to avoid Atiku,he would not have mobilised Abia stakeholders to the meeting.

“If Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had any intention to snub the presidential candidate of the Party, there is no way he would allow the entire Abia PDP structure to attend the parley. The Governor being a man that speaks his mind no matter the circumstances has on several occasions publicly lent his unalloyed support to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition but insists that the right things must be done; one of which is the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as the National Chairman of PDP for justice, equity, fair play and peace to prevail in the Party.”

The party said that those who wish PDP scattered would be disappointed.

“The Abia PDP is happy to inform the opposition Parties that they would be disappointed because the process of healing and reconciliation in the PDP is in top gear and advises them to remove the log of wood in their eyes before trying to help the PDP remove the speck in its eye.”