Afimag.com –
The former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has told the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to step down as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s running mate and apologize to Niger Delta governors for allegedly betraying them.
In a press conference on February 02, 2023, Clark said Okowa betrayed the trust of the Southern governors by accepting VP slot after he hosted his southern colleagues demanding presidency to come to the South.
“I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfish ambition by wanting to land on a safer ground by accepting to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“No, by God’s grace your prayer will not be answered. Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria. In order to cover your nefarious plot, you voluntarily induced everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern Governors in Government House Asaba on Tuesday 11th May 2021.
“You gave them a very good reception and provided them a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State. It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded for Southern Presidency and insisted that none of you should accept to be a Vice President.
“Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), which I lead, gave the governors’ declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving Governors, Legislators or Politicians should accept to be running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar. The 17 Governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu to affirm the decision taken in your Government House Asaba.
“Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from the very beginning. We are, therefore, not surprised that you directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote fo Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State or Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State who are your neighbours but instead, they voted massively for Atiku Abubakar during the PDP Presidential Primaries last year.”
According to the founder of Edwin Clark University, “It is, therefore, in your own interest to openly apologize to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of becoming Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP. There your honour lies.
“We can now understand the reason why you are never serious with your chairmanship of the South-South Governors Forum since this will definitely compromise your ambition. You never for one day join your colleagues to condemn the atrocities being perpetrated against our people particularly the atrocities being committed by the armed AK 47 herdsmen who invaded Uvwheru, Igbuzor, Okpanam, Abraka and very lately Patani. This is because it will annoy your Northern friends.
“However, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) have resolved to oppose your joint candidature with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and this we will continue to do until election day,” he said.
