About 4 months to the 2019 general elections, there is uneasy calm in the camp of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s campaign organization, as over 136 support groups that made up the campaign threatened to abandon him.
Our reporter gathered that the groups are agitated over disregard for their general welfare by the leadership of the Atiku Campaign Organization led by former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel.
It could be recalled that Atiku emerged candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 6 this year at the presidential primary in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. And the PDP has since named some members of its presidential campaign council which is headed by Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.
However, a member of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization (APCO) told Blueprint that complaints by the groups to the leadership of the campaign over the spate of neglect has gone unheeded.
The source also revealed that the groups have petitioned the leadership of the Campaign Organisation over the neglect but that they are yet to get a favorable response.
He added that the protest has led to the removal of the whip of APCO, Comrade Bello Godspower, who is leading the protest.
Our reporter further gathered that the groups have forwarded their written petition directly to the former Vice President last Monday in Abuja. It was learnt that the report was received on his behalf as he is not in the country.They also made a copy of the protesting letter to the wife of the Presidential candidate, Titi Abubakar.
According to the source, “there has been no recognition of the groups through issuance of letter acknowledgment for their support.
“There has been no funding of the groups, even though there are claims that such funds were alleged to have been diverted into private pocket. No group was funded to the Yola rally or the Port Harcourt national convention. We were promised that we will be funded but up till now we have not seen anything, he said.
He added that the campaign leadership has not shown appreciation for their efforts since after the Port HarCourt convention and Yola rally.
He said what they have seen instead is “undue favoritism to brothers friends among the support groups by leadership of APCO.”
He also lamented that “none involvement of the supports groups in Atiku core activities by the appropriate departure of contact and mobilisation as well as lack of adequate communication between APCO and support group leaders.
According to the source “as I speak with you all is not well within the campaign Organisation of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The leaders of the campaign group are mismanaging the goodwill that our principal has being enjoying since he joined the presidential race.
“It is unfair that most of us, I mean the over 130 groups, that have put our time and resources from the onset of his campaign are being shelved aside. Most of our members suffered various degree of loses and they are yet to be compensated, he said.
He said “as a group of aggrieved campaigners we know that our principal being a fair and just man, isn’t aware of the injustice going on.
“As such we have resolved to meet with him this week since the leadership of the campaign, being culpable in the complaints that we have raised won’t give us justice, the source added.
Asked if they will dump Atiku , he said “we have not gotten to that point yet. But we are waiting to see how this issue will be addressed. That will determine our next move,” he said.
Attempts to get reaction from the campaign organisation proved abortive as the spokesman of APCO, Segun Sowumi reaction was not picking his phone calls while a text message sent to him was not replied as at press time.
