From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, was yesterday, heckled at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Enugu for mentioning the Labour Party (LP) in the light the crowd found derogatory.
Ayu, who spoke after the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Peter Mbah, and before the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had praised Enugu State for being an all time PDP.
He, however, drew the anger of the people who apparently were PDP members and their supporters when he asked the people to ignore the Labour Party as a vote for the LP would be a vote for All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said: “Since we formed the party in 1998, Enugu has always voted PDP. PDP is in your DNA and I believe in 2023, you are still going to vote PDP from top to bottom, from bottom to top, starting with the election that is coming up in the next 11 days, Atiku Abubakar will emerge as your president with Ifeanyichukwu Okowa as his vice president.
“I want to assure you that immediately after that your governor is going to be Mbah who will continue the legacy of PDP in Enugu State and I believe the development strides that have been achieved under the PDP leadership in Enugu will continue.
“Those who are coming to deceive you to vote for the other party, called Labour Party, they are deceiving you because a vote for Labour Party is a vote for APC. And I can tell you that voting for APC will not solve the problem of Nigeria.”
At that point, the crowd started to heckle him questioning why he should mention Peter Obi’s Labour Party in that light.
Some youths even began to search for sachet water to throw at him but for the quick switchover of party flag to the governorship candidate, Mbah
Some people at the event believed it was the mild drama that made Atiku to avoid name calling and saying much at the rally.