The rift between two political gladiators, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is not in any way coming to an end as the PDP Director on Strategic Communications, Presidential Campaign Council, Chief Dele Momodu, has refuted purported report circulating online that its party on Wednesday, temporarily suspended rallies in a bid at pacifying Wike.
Momodu in a post on his verified Twitter handle said the stories are falsehoods, and that the party is on course with its rallies, and is due to hit Kaduna State next.
“Absolute falsehood…unlike the APC which is yet to put its act together, our Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council has taken off at supersonic speed…see you soon in Kaduna by God’s grace,” he said.
Absolute falsehood… Unlike APC that is yet to get its act together, our ATIKU/OKOWA PDP Presidential campaign has taken off at supersonic speed… See you soon in Kaduna by God's grace… https://t.co/NhSUE8AfAr
— Dele Momodu Ovation (@DeleMomodu) October 12, 2022
The ‘falsehood’ Momodu talked about hinged on reports suggesting that the “PDP may have temporarily suspended its presidential campaign apparently over the protracted rift between the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike.”
The report held that “It was learnt that the campaign rally was suspended at the instance of Atiku who, party sources said, had drafted three prominent PDP stakeholders to mediate in the standoff between him and the Rivers Governor.
“Atiku was reported to have drafted a former Senate President, David Mark; a former Rivers Governor, Peter Odili and a former Delta Governor, James Ibori as mediators.”
Momodu reiterated that the campaign train of the party, which he said is in full force, will berth in Kaduna soon.
It would be recalled that Wike and his allies that are sympathetic to his cause were conspicuously absent at the party’s presidential campaign’s kick-off which was held at the Nest of Champions International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Their absence followed their continued calls for the embattled national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to vacate office for the position to move to the South which will, in turn, pave the way for genuine reconciliation to take place.