Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Paul Ibe, has said his principal was not silent on the January 16 explosion that killed five persons, injured 77 and destroyed 58 houses in the Old Bodija area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Ibe was reacting to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who remarked on Monday that Atiku had not reached out or commiserated with the government and people of Oyo State over the tragic incident.
Makinde stated this in Ibadan when former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general elections, Peter Obi, paid him a condolence visit over the January 16 explosion.
He expressed appreciation, saying the President and other presidential candidates had reached out to him, except his party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who had not called or even sent a text message.
But reacting, Ibe said Atiku had condoled with the Oyo people over the incident.
He noted that Atiku Abubakar made a condolence message about the Ibadan explosion, less than 24 hours after its occurrence, where he shared his commiseration and empathy with the good people and government of Oyo State over the incident.
Atiku has blamed his defeat in the 2023 presidential election on the refusal of Makinde and four other PDP governors to support his ambition.
Makinde and the other PDP governors, who called themselves the G-5, supported President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the February 25, 2023 presidential election
