Okorocha: Atiku’s Exit Not Good For APC; Tinubu Crying More Than The Bereaved

The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas
Okorocha, has said the exit of former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar from the All
Progressives Congress is not a good
development for the party.
Okorocha said this on Saturday in Akungba
Akoko, Ondo State when he spoke with newsmen
after receiving an honourary degree at the
Adekunle Ajasin University.
Describing Abubakar as an heavyweight
politician, he told newsmen: “I have taken a
holistic view of our party, it (Atiku’s exit) is not
the best because no matter how anybody thinks,
Atiku carries some political weight.
“His leaving our party is not the best.”
Okorocha, however, said since Abubakar had left,
his place would be filled.
Abubakar had two Sundays ago announced his
decision to pitch his tent with the Peoples
Democratic Party.
On his position for automatic ticket for President
Muhammadu Buhari for the 2019 election vis-a-
vis the opposing view of the National Leader of
the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Okorocha
said: “The (Tinubu’s) statement came to me as
a surprise.
“Come to think of it, I never referred to him.
“I referred to the governors of Nigeria, including
the PDP governors, and I said only one or two of
them had not joined yet.
“Since I made the statement, no governor has
said something contrary to what I said.
“I am surprised that Asiwaju will now be
speaking for the governors.
“He looks like somebody crying more than the
bereaved.
“I did not see reason for the statement actually.
“But he commands my respect and I don’t want
to take issue with the national leader of my
party.
“What I mentioned was for the governors and
secondly what I said is support.
“The word I use is support.
“That does not mean there will not be a primary.
“Governors can only contribute 37 votes.
“We still have over 5,000 votes up there.
“What I was talking about was about governors.
“I was not talking about other party members.
“Governors alone do not determine the standard
bearer of a party.”