Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was conspicuously missing at the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Campaign council on Wednesday.
Other PDP Governors missing from the event include Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
The Governors, particularly Wike, have vowed not to campaign for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 elections unless National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu steps down.
A group of PDP stakeholders had earlier this month met at Wike’s residence to announce their withdrawal from the party’s presidential campaign.
The group made its position known after a long meeting which started at about 7pm last night and ended by past 2am this morning at the private residence of Wike in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Members of the group said none of them will participate in whatever capacity in the campaign council unless the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, resigns for a southern candidate.
Present at this defining gathering at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt include Governor Makinde; former Governors Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Donald Duke of Cross River, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Jonah Jang of Plateau, former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke.
Others at the meeting are elder statesmen, Olabode George, Jerry Gana; South-South Chairman of the PDP, Dan Orbih; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche; Senator Suleiman Nazif, Nnenna Ukeje, among several others.
