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2023 Presidency: South-South Governors Restate Support For Atiku/Okowa Ticket
By Edu Abade
Governors of the South-South geo-political zone have re-affirmed their absolute support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, as well as his running mate and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Speaking to newsmen at the Government House, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital shortly after a meeting of four South-South governors namely: Okowa (Delta State), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Okowa said the governors were determined to deliver their party in next year’s presidential election.
In a statement issued by Governor Diri’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Daniel Alabrah, he said the issues involving the party’s G-5 Governors, led by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, were being addressed and assured that the PDP presidential candidate and the five other governors will meet soon.
His words: “We believe that we are one family. There are still issues and they are being attended to. Very soon there will be a meeting between the presidential candidate and the G-5 governors.
“They are part of the family and we are not going to allow them to go. So, everything is being put in place to reconcile all differences and move together as a family.”
Also speaking, Diri, who described the South-South as a PDP stronghold, assured that the party will emerge victorious at all levels in next year’s general election.
He expressed delight over the unity and love among the governors of the region. He expressed confidence that the differences in the party, which he described as family issues, would be resolved amicably and thanked his colleagues for their support for the state during the recent floods, saying the people of the state will always be grateful to them.
He said: “I can only say on behalf of the government and the people of Bayelsa State, we appreciate the South-South governors. As my brother, the governor of Edo State has stated, we are one. Even in the family, there are and will always be disputed, but those disputes do not separate us. We will resolve them and we will continue to push on as one.
“The South-South is a PDP region. The South-South is a place where no other party can contend except PDP. I assure you that in all the elections from the presidency to the governorship, the National Assembly and the state assemblies, PDP will again triumph.”
On his part, Obaseki said they were in the state to show support to the government and people of Bayelsa over the recent flooding that ravaged the state insisting that as a region, their support for the Atiku/Okowa ticket was sacrosanct and that they would do all within their powers to unite the party and go into the election as a strong and united zone.