Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and his deputy, Bayo Lawal, were absent at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally which held yesterday for the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Oyo is the first state controlled by G-5 governors to host the PDP presidential campaign train.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, who was a senator between 1999 and 2003, urged the PDP candidate to reconcile with the governor.

Makinde’s absence at the Ibadan rally robbed it of the usual huge crowd. Although Atiku and his team hailed the governor for allowing the rally to hold and mobilizing supporters, the crowd fell short of what is usually experienced at Mapo Hall during campaigns.

Supporters usually storm the hall and its environs, creating traffic snarl for motorists. But yesterday’s crowd only filled the frontage of the hall while residents were going about their normal businesses around the hall.

At the rally were Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State), Ademola Adeleke (Osun State), Godwin Obaseki (Edo State), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa State) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom State), former National Chairman Uche Secondus, Dino Melaye, and Sule Lamido.

A former vice president Namadi Sambo; former governors Achike Udenwa (Imo), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Idris Wada (Kogi), and former Senate President Adolphus Wabara were also at the campaign.

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