You can’t display posters on convention day - PDP warns Atiku, Lamido and Shekarau

Atiku Abubaka

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reportedly stopped Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, who just returned to its fold, from displaying posters during its forthcoming national convention. Also barred, according to Daily Trust, are former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido, his former Kano state counterpart, Ibrahim Shekarau, and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state. The report predicted that former Senate president, David Mark, and Ahmed Makarfi could also have their posters flooding the event. 


Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who chairs the party's convention planning committee, disclosed the warning to the would-be aspirants after the committee's meeting in Abuja. He also said the movement of some important personalities would be restricted. The report quoted Okowa as saying the chairmanship and other aspirants would not be allowed to campaign on the convention ground. “We need to make this announcement to all our party members and well-wishers that the convention is going to be for delegates and we are expecting a little less than 3000 delegates.
“And those delegates have been properly accredited by the accreditation committee. “And for those our party members that are going to come are welcome to Abuja, but they will not be allowed to come to the eagle square and this is because we want to be sure that we are in a position to deliver a credible elective convention. 

“We are trying to put all these processes in place so that we don't over crowd the venue. I want to urge aspirants to the various positions to please, keep their campaigners away from the convention venue and we believe all campaigns would have stopped by Friday. “I will not expect any aspirant, especially presidential aspirants to bring their campaign posters, campaigners, men or women to the venue because it will not be allowed.
“And we want to appeal to all of them campaigning to desist from doing that. For those who want to campaign for future election, possibly the presidential aspirants this convention is not the place to display campaign posters or to display their intentions. “I believe there will be an appropriate convention for that. I want to urge them to cooperate with us as a committee," the governor reportedly said.
Tiku, who is the national secretary of the Atiku Abubakar National Youth Organization (ANYO), said this in reaction to a statement credited to former president Olusegun Obasanjo.