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ResignasAtiku'srunningmate,ClarktellsOkowa
from Asiwaju
FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark has asked the Delta stateGovernorIfeanyiOkowatoresign from being the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the People's Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate.
Addressing journalists recently at his AsokororesidenceinAbuja,theLeader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF and Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) in a letter dated February 2, 2023, addressed to Governor Okowa, said that the Governor and Atiku will not win the presidencyonjointticket.
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Clark who noted that Okowa went contrary to the resolutions of southern governorsandotherstakeholdersthatno politician from the South should accept to be running mate to a northerner and particularly, Atiku Abubakar, accused theGovernorofusingmoneybelonging to Delta people to fund his campaign with Atiku, and asked the governor to publicly apologise to the people of the southandwithdrawfromtherace.
Partoftheletterread, “Today,Isaywith certainty that you are more dictatorial than any other Military administrator that has administered Delta State since itscreationin1991.
“I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfishambitionbywantingtolandona safer ground by accepting to serve as runningmatetoAlhajiAtikuAbubakar
“No,byGod'sgraceyourprayerwillnot be answered Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of SouthernNigeria.
“In order to cover your nefarious plot, you voluntarily induced everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern governors in Government HouseAsaba on Tuesday 11th May 2021. You gave themaverygoodreceptionandprovided them a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, whichwasablyreadbytheChairmanof the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
“It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded for Southern Presidencyandinsistedthatnoneofyou shouldaccepttobeaVicePresident.
“Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), which I lead, gave the governor's declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving governors, Legislators or Politicians should accept toberunningmate,particularlytoAtiku Abubakar
“The 17 governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu to affirm the decision takeninyourGovernmentHouseAsaba. Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from theverybeginning.
“Wearethereforenotsurprisedthatyou directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for Governor Nyesom WikeofRiversStateorGovernorUdom EmmanuelofAkwaIbomStatewhoare yourneighboursbutinstead,theyvoted massivelyforAtikuAbubakarduringthe PDPPresidentialPrimarieslastyear
“Itwouldberecalledin2007,thatDelta Statefinanceswereusedinfundingpart oftheelectionofUmaruMusaYar'Adua through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were therefore notsurprisedwhenyoutoohavedecided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta People'smoneybecause;thereisnobody to challenge you. I repeat, you will not succeed.
“It is therefore in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of bothAPCandPDPwhomyoudeceived 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 ofthePDP Thereyourhonourlies.”
