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Challenges Sen. Ibrahim Onawo, others to display their 2023 elections results in Nasarawa before Atiku
By David Odama
The immediate past Chairman of the opposition people’s Democratic party PDP in Nasarawa State, Hon. Francis Orogu on Saturday challenged the Senator representing Nasarawa South, Senator Ibrahim Onawo and others parading themselves as leaders of the party to declare their results obtained for Atiku in 2023 presidential elections in Nasarawa state or burry their heads be Atiku Abubakar in shame.
This is even as he has asked those he described as ‘politicians without followership’ to stop parading themselves as leaders and stakeholders of the party in the state.
Speaking to Journalists in Lafia while reacting to a video trending on their visit to the former vice president credited to senator Ibrahim Onawo and others describing PDP as a party that have lost focused.
“Tell Atiku the truth about yourself and declare your contribution to his 2023 presidential election in your ward or expose your inability to deliver a polling unit for the former Vice president, Atiku Abubakar in Nasarawa state.
“I have their records. Some of them gave Atiku just 7 votes in their units and less than 150 votes. But they go to Atiku claiming they delivered. I alone gave Atiku over 45% of the votes in my local government. APC and Labour combined didn’t get up to 3,000 votes in my area,” he boasted.
“I decided to remain silent before now, but I think the time has come to address certain misconceptions, misgivings being paddled by some politicians who have lost touch with their environments.
“PDP in Nigeria and in particular Nasarawa state have not loss focus. It is some individuals, especially those seeking national relevance through Atiku Abubakar, that are peddling falsehoods,” Orogu said.
The former PDP state Chairman, who faulted the comments credited to some PDP members who visited the former vice president and the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for allegedly express concerns over the direction of the party in Nasarawa State however noted that the party members have the right to visit Atiku and not to speaker for the party.
“It’s their right to consult with Atiku, but not to speaker for the party or discredit the same party that gave them the platform to be where they are before and now. For Some of them such as Senator Onawo to accuse the party of losing direction, yet since he became senator, he has done nothing to support the party,” Orogu claimed.
He revealed that Senator Ibrahim Onawo’s only financial contribution to the party was N10 million during membership revalidation exercise, declaring that the 2023 PDP gubernatorial candidate, Emmanuel David Ombugadu, contributed more than N9.5 million for the same exercise.
“When we conducted the last Congress, even in his ward, the nomination forms were paid for by Emmanuel David Ombugadu. These same individuals didn’t support the party during that process but now want to direct the party from the top,” Orogu added.
Senator Ibrahim 5 Onawo faction had attempted to hijack the state congress by bypassing the original consensus arrangements by running to the courts when they saw that the tide wasn’t in their favour—a trend he claims has become every four years episode.
“These individuals call themselves leaders, but when invited to meetings, they act contrary to agreed decisions. They are political liabilities, not assets. Most them are former this, former that. These are people who have lost their influence and are looking for a lifeline,” he stated.
Hon. Orogu who urged Atiku and other PDP stakeholders to watch their back and tread carefully. however dismissed the insinuations that the party is losing focused describing the narratives as the handiwork of “compulsory retired politicians’ desperate to remain relevant in the political arena
“If Atiku wants to embark on a new political journey, he must not rely on these ‘retired politicians’. Let him watch closely and see the steps Bola Ahmed Tinubu will take. The success of any new political realignment depends on PDP which remains the only structured vehicle to drive political change in Nigeria”.
“Which party is truly stable in Nigeria today? Why is it not possible for APC to conduct a proper convention. They kept moving from one caretaker committee to another. Yet, they claim to be the ruling party,” Orogu stated.
