A source in the camp of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed that Gov Udom of Akwa Ibom, who doubles as the chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has threatened to resign over the non-availability of funds.
What they are saying
The source that spoke with the Daily Sun claimed that despite the PDP being the state’s ruling party, Atiku, the party’s presidential candidate, is not popular among its residents, hence the need for campaign funds.
- The source further added that “at the moment, our governor has said he would not be spending a dime of the state’s funds on the presidential campaign because we don’t even have more than enough resources for our national and state Assemblies campaigns.”
Why it matters
Already the presidential candidate of the PDP cannot bank on the support of five PDP governors, including Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
- The resignation of one more PDP governor would mean the presidential candidate has the support of only seven of the thirteen party-member governors.
The big picture
While endorsements from state governors, political stakeholders and mentors in the Nigerian political scene do not guarantee election victory, they go a long way in influencing the choice of voters. PDP’s internal crisis could harm the aspiration of its party’s candidates.