Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President of Nigeria is the presidential flag-bearer of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections.
The Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind the five governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that opposed the presidential ambition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President of Nigeria is the presidential flag-bearer of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections.
Atiku's emergence as the candidate of the party had thrown the party into internal crisis with five southern governors led by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike who also contested for the presidential ticket and lost, demanding that the national chairman of the party should stepdown for a Southern to replace him.
The governors insisted that there demand was wise, just and equitable.
Speaking on the position of the G-5 Governors of the party, Afenifere blamed the crisis on the violation of the PDP's constitution and the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference on rotation of power between Northern and Southern regions of the country.
The Secretary General of the mainstream Yoruba organisation, Chief Sola Ebiseeni, who stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday, said that Afenifere was totally behind the G-5 PDP governors.
He said that Afenifere is supporting the governors because it believes that the power should come to the south after a Northerner, President Muhammadu Buhari has completed an eight-year tenure.
According New Telegraph reports, Ebiseeni, also justified the presence of Afenifere at the Southwest rally of the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, adding that the constitution of the PDP was violated with the choice of Abubakar as its presidential candidate.
According to him, it was difficult for members of the Afenifere in good conscience and the peace of our nation to support the ill-advised choice of the PDP Presidential candidate on account of his region of origin.