PDP Shuns Ogun State As Buhari, Atiku Hit Home States To Woo Voters

President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party have scheduled the grand finale of their presidential campaign rallies to hold in their home states on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s poll.

Buhari comes from Katsina State and Atiku from Adamawa State.

According to the timetable of the general elections released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections, which commenced on November 18, 2018, end on February 14, 2019.

One of our correspondents learnt that Buhari’s advance team left Abuja for Katsina on Wednesday.

A presidency source said, “The final rally of the APC presidential campaign will be holding in Katsina.

“The President’s advance team left Abuja today (Wednesday) for Katsina.

“The President will be joining them after the Abuja rally today (Wednesday). Once in Katsina, the President will stay back to vote in the election on Saturday before returning to Abuja on Sunday.”

In Adamawa, Atiku is also expected to use the occasion to appeal to his supporters and others in the state to vote for him.

It was also learnt that the PDP would no longer hold any presidential campaign rallies in both Abuja and Ogun State.

While the Ogun rally was said to have been cancelled due to factionalisation of the party in the state, the party said it cancelled that of Abuja to avert clashes with APC members.

Our correspondents report that the national leadership of the PDP is supporting a member of the House of Representatives, Ladi Adebutu, as its governorship candidate in Ogun, while INEC recognises Senator Buruji Kashamu.

“The PDP took the decision not to go to Ogun to avoid what happened between Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s loyalists and the other camp of the APC when President Buhari went there to campaign,” a member of the National Working Committee of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

“Let the PDP as a party continue to campaign in the state. Whoever the court finally settles for as the governorship candidate can later claim the glory.”

Spokesman for the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, confirmed the cancellation of the party’s rallies in both Abuja and Ogun to one of our correspondents.

He said, “Yes, it is true that we have cancelled the rallies in Abuja and Ogun. We cancelled that of Abuja in order to avoid clashes with our opponent.”