Borno, Yobe PDP Delegates Boycott Meeting With Atiku

Posted by admin Borno, State News, Yobe Sunday, January 2nd, 2011

THE Borno and Yobe States delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, boycotted a meeting with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar over his aspiration to contest the Presidency on the party’s platform.

Even though the decision was not disclosed, a delegate from Maiduguri Metropolitan council said their boycott was to protect their ‘integrity and the constitution’ of the PDP towards the 2011 presidential elections.

The Guardian also learnt that Atiku only had very brief interaction with the leaders of the delegates at the PDP state secretariat, after series of entreaties, so that, he was not given complete blackout by delegates from the two states.

The meeting which took place at about midnight on Kirikasamma Road, however lasted for few minutes, without some of the party leaders in attendance.

Confirming the boycott, the Borno State chairman of the Atiku Campaign Organization, Ahmed Asheme, who spoke on phone said, there were various reasons for the boycott.
“I am not ready to speak now, because I am on my way to Damasak. I would surely give you my own side of the story when I return,” Asheme said.

Similarly, the Yobe State chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abbagana Tata, maintained that, he also did not attend the scheduled delegates’ meeting with Atiku, because he was in Abuja to attend to important issues.

Tata said: “When Atiku arrived at Maiduguri, I don’t really know what happened there. But I believe he must have met with Yobe delegates and no one is yet to brief me on what transpired, because I was in Abuja to collect materials for the forthcoming primary elections of our party.”

A delegate from Southern Borno senatorial district told The Guardian that, “we took the decision to protect our own integrity,” adding that delegates of the party should not be seen or considered to betray the party as each member of the party has stake and integrity to protect in both the primaries and the election proper.”

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