Ex-Atiku’s aide, Afegbua to resign from PDP over choice of running mate

Kassim Afegbua, a former spokesperson to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Atiku, has hinted at resignation of his membership from the PDP over the choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 general elections.

Afegbua, while speaking as guest analyst onThursday, on Arise News show, The Arise Interview, described Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, as more deserving of the slot.

Atiku’s announcement of Okowa as his running mate on Thursday truncated weeks of expectations that Wike will be announced as the running mate of Atiku.

It will be recalled that Wike polled 237 against the 371 delegate votes at the PDP presidential primary secured by Atiku, who won the nomination on May 29th.

It cannot be ruled out that one of the roles of Okowa in the primary election was that he led the Delta State’s delegates to vote for Atiku.

Meanwhile, Afegbua has described Atiku’s choice of Okowa as a reward for treachery.

The former Commissioner for Information in Edo State said he would dissociate himself from the PDP to support the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election.

Afegbua stated that he would not be joining the APC but would only be campaigning for its standard bearer.

It will be recalled that Afegbua in 2020 worked against the PDP in 2020 for giving its ticket to Governor Godwin Obaseki, after the APC dismissed the governor from the APC governorship primary for alleged forgery of an academic certificate.

Obaseki won the election on the PDP ticket, but the PDP consequently suspended Afegbua from the party over alleged anti-party activities. (  Vanguard)