Fani Kayode: In South-East stronghold, Peter Obi steals PDP votes.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

With the presidential campaigns for 2023 in full swing, Femi Fani-Kayode, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, could dilute the PDP’s political influence in the South-East.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, ran as the party’s running mate alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election. In May, he defected to the LP, just days before Atiku resurfaced as the PDP’s candidate.

“The PDP should be more concerned than we are about the South-East.” To begin, the South-East has traditionally been the PDP’s stronghold. Not any more. “In Imo and Ebonyi states, we have two exceptional governors who are doing very well and have a broad base of support,” Fani-Kayode said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.

“There are pockets of support for us in places like Enugu, where Senator Chimaroke Nnamani and others are present.” Then there’s the issue of a number of South-East governors who were or are PDP but are now working against their party.”

According to him, these governors are Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State.

“Honorable men like Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu, and others come to mind.” The South-East currently has four or five states. Soludo is also unhappy with the PDP and Peter Obi. As a result, it’s clear that we’ll do well.

“We have made inroads in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu.” The PDP has lost support because Obi has stripped them of what was once their traditional base.

“Aside from that, the five disgruntled governors – I believe two of them are from the East – are also opposed to them.” There are already two governors on the scene. So, I believe we will do very well in the South-East, even better than before,” Fani-Kayode said.