By Sadiq Abdullateef
THE five aggrieved Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) identified as G5 seem to have taken a final stand not to work for the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, and have instead resorted to supporting Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate.
The G5 Governors, led by Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
News Point Nigeria has been reliably informed by a source very close to the G5 and especially close to Governor Wike, that the governors will undoubtedly support Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate.
This is coming after the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel tried to persuade his counterparts to embrace peace and work for Atiku but they all refused. According to the source, the Udom meeting was late as the G5 have made a decision on who to support come February.
It could be recalled that Wike, who fell out with Atiku following the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary in May, has pulled out of the party’s presidential campaign, insisting that PDP’s National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu (from the northern region like the Adamawa-born) should quit for equity and fairness.
While efforts to reconcile them have failed, the former minister and his group were accused of frustrating the party’s move to microzone the PDP’s presidential ticket to the South-East in the lead-up to the primary election.
The G5 returned to Nigeria on Friday after spending some days in the UK on a trip that was considered a ‘strategic meeting’ ahead of their plans to unveil who the group will back in the February presidential election.
But so far, there seem to be no open headway on that, as the G5 have denied any deal with Tinubu and they have continued to ‘fight and berate’ the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity told, News Point Nigeria that, the G5 turned down Governor Udom and several other reconciliatory moves because they have resolved to support Peter Obi in the forthcoming Presidential election.
“Wike will definitely support Obi for the presidential bid, as a matter of fact, on his return from the UK, his boys in the South South have started campaigning for Obi already, albeit discreetly.
“They are mobilizing grassroots politicians across the region and telling them to vote PDP in every seat except for president, and for that, Obi is the candidate to vote. Very soon you will start seeing posters of candidates of PDP in the south east and south south with Obi’s picture “.
“Governor Makinde of Oyo state will probably be the most likely exception, he has asked to be allowed to support Tinubu for obvious reasons but all four of the other G5 governors are a 100 on Obi”, the source added.
“Just like former President Obasanjo endorsed Obi, Wike is going to do so too very soon, and he will give us reasons, and mark my words, that declaration will come with a lot of bombshell, a lot of untold truth”, he stated.
On the denied G5 governors meeting with Tinubu in the UK, he said, “there was definitely a meeting in the UK. That is an established fact but there wasn’t a deal. Even Wike himself didn’t deny that there was a meeting, he only denied that there was a deal. Listen to his speech on his return again, if there wasn’t a meeting, Wike will be the first to deny it”.
On NNPP Preidential candidate, former Kano governor, Engr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s reach out to Wike, the source said, “yes, Kwankwaso reached out to Wike to be his vice president, just like Tinubu offered him a senatorial ticket but he turned both offers down”.
“He has made it clear that, he is not in this race to be a senator or a vice president. He is not like others who bought senatorial forms along with presidential, Wike was so sure of victory until somebody close to him betrayed him for regional reasons but that is a story for another day”, the source concluded.
It could be recalled that, Wike in an interview with Channels TV on a live programme in September, said, “I didn’t contest so I can become a vice presidential candidate, I am not like others who were not serious and bought senatorial form alongside presidential form and that’s why when Tinubu offered me senate slot, I didn’t go for it. If I want power or want to be in power, I would have gone ahead to take the senatorial ticket.
“But I said no. That is a man who believes in equity, fairness, and justice. So the analysis does not rhyme at all.
“Aside from Tinubu, who is from the APC, other political parties are talking to me as well including NNPP, Labour Party because they all know my worth and how I can ensure that they win the 2023 poll. But I have not accepted any of the offers presented by those parties.”