BUSTED: Sandy Onor Secretly Mobilizes For Atiku As PDP Presidential Canadidate Visits Calabar Today
Politics Monday, February 13th, 2023
As the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar visits Calabar, the Cross River State capital today, Sen. Sandy Ojang Onor, the party’s governorship candidate in the state is reported to have secretly mobilized for the presidential campaign visit today.
Sandy Onor a close ally of the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has never publicly campaigned for his presidential candidate since Alhaji Atiku emerged candidate of his party, ostensibly on the directive of Mr. Wike who has never hidden his opposition for the emergence of Atiku.
Late last year, Sandy Onor was conspicuously absent from two previous high profile meetings of his party including the official inauguration of the presidential campaign committee and the visit of the vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa in Calabar.
Sandy Onor who has continued to enjoy the financial support of governor Wike and is reported to be heavily dependent on the financial goodwill of the Rivers state governor to fund his gubernatorial ambition has continued to align with Mr. Wike in opposing the emergence of Alhaji Atiku.
But in a desperate move to gain the support of some of Atiku’s loyalists in the state which includes former governor Liyel Imoke, senator representing southern district of the state, Gershom Bassey, Sen. Onor is reported to have had a late night meeting with some Loyalists of Atiku, where he promised to immediately dole out some financial support to mobilize PDP members in support of the presidential visit today. This is so despite governor Wike’s insistence in distancing himself from all activities of his party’s Presidential campaigns.
Few days ago, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, the Rivers State Director General of Atiku/Okowa campaign organization narrowly escaped assassination while heading to inspect venue of the presidential campaign rally in Port harcourt. He accused Mr. Wike of being behind the attack, alleging that those who attacked him were men of the Nigerian police attached to the Rivers state government house.
Governor Wike is also reported to have denied the PDP presidential campaign venue for holding their rally in Port Harcourt.
But despite the opposition, Sandy Onor has continued to secretly engage in nocturnal meetings with key loyalists of Atiku Abubabar without the knowledge of governor Nyesom Wike. Using his deputy governorship candidate, Emana Amawhe who is a protegee of Ifeanyi Okowa, the vice presidential candidate of the PDP and a close ally of governor Emmanuel Udom, who is chairman of the PDP presidential campaign committee
While hoping to still maintain the financial support from governor Wike, Sandy Onor believes that his continuous opposition of Alhaji Atiku will mean his eventual defeat in the March 11, Guber election. He is rumored to have expressed his frustration to Lady Emana Amawhe, whom he has since mandated to immediately get in touch with governors Okowa and Udom.
Mr. Onor has also reportedly mobilised over 1500 people from each if the senatorial district to welcome Alhaji Atiku as the later visits the state today.
A top PDP source who did not want to be quoted told our reporter “I do not know what you want to know. But all I can tell you is that, our governorship candidate, Sandy Onor has already given us the first batch of financial support for mobilization and will give the balance later this aftenoon. He doesn’t need to do it openly, but he is strongly supporting the visit of our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atuku Abubakar today”
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