Ibadan Explosion: Atiku yet to sympathise with me

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday said presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has not sympathised with him over the devastating explosion that occurred two weeks ago in Bodija area of Ibadan, the state capital.

Mr Makinde said this when the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, an activist, Aisha Yesufu, and some of the party’s chieftains paid him a visit in Ibadan over the incident.

The explosion killed about five persons and many others sustained injuries while several buildings, vehicles and other properties were destroyed.

The governor recently said that about 230 properties at the site of the Ibadan explosion were currently undergoing structural integrity tests.

The Presidency, Senate, state governors, CSOs and other individuals have since sympathised with the Oyo State government over the devastating explosion.

Atiku, a former vice president of the country, has yet to sympathise with the government and the people of the state over the incident that occurred about two weeks ago.

Mr Makinde, a member of the PDP, expressed displeasure with the silence of his party’s presidential candidate over the explosion.

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“I am particularly grateful because the musketeers that went for the presidential election have reached out to me. The president has called me, you have reached out to me, but my own party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has not called or even sent a text message.

“And I am saying it openly, so that our leaders will know that there is time for politics, you have a time for governance and you have a time for humanity. So, we want to say thank you so much, sir. We appreciate this visit,” the governor said.

G-5 governors

Atiku’s silence may not be unconnected with the crisis between him and the G5 governors.

Mr Makinde was one of the five governors of the PDP popularly known as G-5, who stoutly opposed his presidential ambition.

The group was led by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, then as governor of Rivers State. Other members were former Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue).

As a condition to support Atiku in the presidential election, they demanded the resignation of the then party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and replaced with a southerner.

The group also insisted that a southerner should succeed former President Muhammadu Buhari for the purposes of fairness, equality and representation.

The PDP candidate lost to President Bola Tinubu in the 25 February presidential election.