Atiku and Okowa welcome defectors in Bauchi

Atiku Abubakar, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, were in Bauchi State on Wednesday to welcome defectors from other political parties. Atiku is the party's presidential candidate.

Ayu claimed that over 300,000 people had joined the PDP in Bauchi State when speaking at a North-East stakeholders' meeting held at the Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall shortly after the protest at the stadium.

Aminu Tambuwal, the governor of Sokoto State, and Namadi Sambo, a former vice president, were among those who attended the event along with the director general of the Presidential Campaign Council and the chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum.

In attendance were the governors of Bauchi, Bala Mohammed; Adamawa, Umaru Fintiri; and Taraba, Darius Ishaku, as well as their deputies.
Also, in attendance were, the former governors of Jigawa, Sule Lamido; Adamawa, Boni Haruna and Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwambo; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki. However, what was obviously noticeable was the fact that none of the governors and the PDP chieftains loyal to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was in attendance at the rally.

Ayu in a brief speech at the stakeholders’ meeting stated that the new members were over 300,000.
He said, “I want to assure you, my brothers and sisters, that PDP is a united family, they will try to divide us but they will fail, stay united. If we were not attractive as a party, there won’t be so many defectors coming back to their party.
“Today, we received over 300,000 defecors into the PDP. I am to welcome all of them and to assure them that they will be treated as every other PDP member of the family, they will make us strong, they will make us capable because Bauchi state for example, is one of the key states in Nigeria.”

References 

[1] Punchng, 'Atiku, Okowa in Bauchi, receive defectors' (online, 2022) https://punchng.com/atiku-okowa-in-bauchi-receive-defectors/.