Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has revealed the reason for his absence from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential campaign flag-off held in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom capital, on Monday.
Makinde was one of the Governors who shunned the flag-off to protest the retention of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s national chairman
Others absent at the event included Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
The governors alongside other key members of the party had withdrawn from PDP’s presidential campaign following Ayu’s refusal to resign.
Speaking with state house correspondents after the swearing-in of Olukayode Ariwoola as the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) on Wednesday, Makinde said he needed to be in his state, Oyo, to work for his party ahead of 2023 general elections.
He added that he had been “busy” in the business of governance and campaigning for his party.
He, however, insisted on the resignation of the national chairman in the interest of justice and fairness.
He said: “I have been busy at home in Oyo state campaigning for everybody. Uyo is not where I need to put the votes together. It is in Oyo; so I stayed in Oyo.
“The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cart before the horse; the pertinent issue remains the Ayu leadership.
“We, therefore, resolve that senator Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the national chairman for an acting chairman of southern Nigeria extraction. We resolved not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu.”
