The Ibrahim Shehu Shema-led faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State has conducted a campaign rally in support of the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Ifeanyi Okowa.
The rally held on Sunday at the Atiku Campaign Office in the state capital had in attendance a crowd of supporters in their thousands drawn from the 34 LGAs of the state.
The leader of the faction and former governor of Katsina State represented by the former State PDP Chairman Hon Salisu Majigiri told the gathering that the essence is to restate their support for Atiku.
It is also to inform the teeming supporters of the recent happenings, particularly the lingering leadership crisis in the party, he added.
He explained that the crisis began from the leadership of the party when he stepped down for his deputy Hon Salisu Uli to serve as acting chairman of the PDP.
“The beginning of the crisis was when I stepped down for my deputy to serve as acting PDP chairman to enable me to contest for the Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency,” he said.
“But unfortunately, some group of people went to Kano State and announced the nomination of another state party chairman which we rejected vehemently and we are not behind that absolutely. Besides, there are so many issues that need to be addressed.
“So, people were agitating and worried about the current happenings about the PDP in the state, especially with the leadership of the party. The process of reconciliation doesn’t even begin because we don’t see any sign of reconciliation.
“We are moving forward. We are true lovers and supporters of Atiku Abubakar. There are pretenders, we will expose them in due course.
“Despite this division in the party, Atiku Abubakar stands a better chance to win Katsina because we are supporting him 100 percent. We don’t have any problem with him.
“The crisis was a result of some people who are selfish in the party and they are part of the leaders. If they can address this problem, it will be good for the party, because we labour for this party. Like me, I have been in the party since 1998.
“Those behind the crisis went to another party and spent over 10 years and then rejoined the party. So, they are not for the party at all because if they are for the party, they will not allow a such crisis to continue.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the acting PDP Chairman of the led Shema faction Salisu Uli maintained that the difference is quite clear as a group of ten people cannot be compared with a group or camp comprising four (4) people.
He prayed to Almighty Allah to remove the bad eggs from the party.
“To be frank with you, PDP is divided into two camps in Katsina State. We too are not happy with the development created by some unscrupulous elements who have decamped from the APC and other political parties,” Uli added.