Atiku stated this through his Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) spokesman, Daniel Bwala.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has stated that his chances of winning next year’s presidential election would not be affected by the lack of support from Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his fellow “rebel” governors.
Atiku stated this through his Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) spokesman, Daniel Bwala.
The aggrieved PDP governors, popularly known as G5 Governors, led by Wike in alliance with some chieftains of the party, had recently announced the formation of Integrity Group.
The official formation of the group within the party was made known to journalists by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State before the group’s closed-door meeting in Lagos.
The G5 Governors and other aggrieved members of the party had insisted that the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, must resign for the sake of fairness.
Ayu and the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, are from the Northern region. Meanwhile, according to the aggrieved governors, the agreement was that Ayu would resign if a northerner emerged as the presidential candidate of the party, for a southerner to replace him.
Ayu has however refused to resign from office.
The G5 Governors comprise Governor Wike, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Makinde and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
Addressing journalists on Sunday before their strategic meeting in Lagos, Governor Makinde said the Integrity Group remained the face behind the struggle within the PDP.
However Bwala has downplayed the move, saying the party is poised to win next year’s presidential election.
“Our party is poised to win the election. Wike’s non-participation would affect a little bit of the margin. So, if we are supposed to win with nine million votes or eight million votes, that may reduce to six million votes or something like that,” he said on Channels Television on Wednesday.
“But this victory is destined by God and I can tell you that there can be conspiracy and collaboration or anything. We know the Electoral Amendment Act and what it brings. We saw it in Osun where some members of our party even worked against the party in that state.
“But what happened? The ‘Dancing Senator’ (Ademola Adeleke) danced his way to victory because the people spoke and their voices were held. This is how we are going to be looking at this election because the bigger picture is what we are looking at. Have you not seen the multi-dimensional poverty index?”
Bwala also claimed that the Rivers State Governor “chased” the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Governor Dave Umahi, and others out of the PDP.
He, however, maintained that the Atiku was committed to uniting Nigeria despite the crisis in the party.