Deputy Chairman of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation (South), Otunba Gbenga Daniel on Thursday, said the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, to have a major campaign in Ogun State was strategic.
Daniel said this during a presidential campaign tour of Ogun Central and East Senatorial districts, claiming that it was deliberate and strategic.
Atiku was reported to have skipped Ogun State campaign so as not to aggravate crisis between the two factions of the party in the state.
The PDP in the state is divided into two factions with Senator Buruji Kashamu and a member of House of Representatives from Remo- North, Oladipupo Adebutu leading the factions.
Daniel said, “He (Atiku) has been to Ogun State, a number of times. It is a thing of strategy because sometimes, a big rally is a form of collecting the converted and you know our Ogun state is a very sophisticated environment.
“So, I think we have done what we are supposed to do and that is most important and as you can see, everything is rooting for Atiku and that is the most important”.
Also the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, Buruji Kashamu, said that Atiku cancelled his visit to the state, in order to avoid causing chaos.
Kashamu, who spoke on Thursday, said despite the controversy that surrounded his emergence as the candidate of the party, he would win the election.
The national secretariat of the PDP supports Kashamu’s rival, Ladi Adebutu, as the governorship candidate of the party in Ogun.
After a prolonged legal battle, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favour of the Adebayo Dayo-led state executive of the PDP in Ogun state.
The court also mandated INEC to accept the list of candidates emerging from primaries conducted by the faction for the 2019 general elections in Ogun state.
Kashamu emerged the governorship candidate through the faction.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the PDP, was to visit Ogun State as part of his nationwide campaign; but the plan was cancelled.
Kashamu said that he believed there would be chaos if Atiku had visited.
He said, “He (Atiku) decided not to visit Ogun State because he wanted to avoid having any problem. You know the other guy, Ladi Adebutu, is still parading himself as the governorship candidate. We all believe his (Atiku’s) coming can cause chaos. We had written to the police and the DSS to intervene so that there would be no problems. So, the fact that Atiku is a man of rule of law and the national executive has not been following the rule of law, that is why he declined to come to Ogun State.
“I believe the Almighty God is the most powerful and He has the result (of the elections) in His hands. I also believe He is the God of Justice. It is not today that we have been on this journey. I love my people in Ogun State and they love me. I believe with much efforts and the support of the people, we will win the elections.”
Kashamu, while expressing confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission, said he believed the elections would be free and fair.
He said INEC should be trusted to deliver credible polls having enforced court decisions which were against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“If, I win this election, I will know what to do to those who had been opposing me. But they had been meeting with me because they know there is nothing they can do. I am sure we will all reconcile at the end of the day,” he added.
Punch
