2023: Cracks Reportedly Widen Among G-5 Governors Over Choice of Presidential Candidate
- Emerging reports suggest disunity has crept into the camp of the aggrieved PDP governors ahead of the 2023 general elections
- The governors recently met in London as part of ongoing negotiations with APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu
- Known as G-5 governors, the state chief executives have struggled to present one front in their opposition to PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar
FCT, Abuja - A report by ThisDay newspaper indicates that there was no unanimity among the aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors on which presidential candidate to support in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
According to the report, disagreement is already crippling in among the governors as their choices differ.
Source: UGC
Reliable sources quoted in the report said due to the disagreement among the G-5 governors, Nyesom Wike angrily left his colleagues in London and headed for Madrid, Spain.
The other governors are Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu states.
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It was also gathered that the threat of the PDP to expel them if they move to endorse any presidential candidate other than Atiku, may have jolted the group to pause.
Should they be expelled by their party, those seeking senatorial seats and the Oyo state governor who is seeking re-election, will lose the right to be on the ballot as they will no longer be candidates of the party going into the elections.
Invariably, should the party carry out its expulsion threat, all those running for positions on the platform of the PDP will cease to be candidates.
And should they proceed to participate in the election, their opponents can easily file action in court to challenge the validity of their participation in the elections.
After the expulsion, the party will write to INEC notifying the electoral body that it does not have any candidate for those positions, which will amount to removing the carpet under their feets.
A source quoted in the report revealed that while it was true that Makinde and Wike shared the same view that they should support the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu; Ikpeazu and Ortom differed as they preferred a different candidate.
The source revealed that Makinde had made Wike to buy into the deal, but other G-5 governors with senatorial ambitions were reluctant to go with the choice of Tinubu, because of their senatorial interest.
The main grouse of Makinde was that he was replaced with the Osun state governor, Ademola Adekeke as the PDP presidential council leader in the southwest, a position, he had earlier rejected.
Ortom, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are contesting senatorial elections in their respective states, whereas Wike has no immediate political interest except for his associates in Rivers state.
As part of their disagreement, Ortom and Ikpeazu told Wike that it was better they remain neutral as openly supporting any other presidential candidate may spell doom for them.
Ortom even suggested that they impress it that the national chairman, Iyorcha Ayu be made to sign an undertaking to resign after the presidential election, whether the PDP wins or losses the election.
According to the source, it was because of this that Wike left London angrily for Madrid, Spain, to watch the opening of the Spanish league on Saturday.
He said:
“Wike has even abandoned them in London in anger for Madrid to watch Real Madrid opening League match. The center can no longer hold.”
2023: G5 governors reportedly demand Tinubu support in five states
Legit.ng had earlier reported that the G5 governors demanded the support of Tinubu, for the PDP governorship and senatorial candidates in their states.
This was part of the conditions presented to Tinubu during his meeting with the governors in London, United Kingdom, on Tuesday, December 27.
A reliable source disclosed that the five governors were concerned about their political careers and sought assurances from Tinubu.
PDP crisis: Shehu Sani urges G5 governors to end squabbles, endorse Atiku
On his part, Senator Shehu Sani has urged the G5 governors to sheathe their swords and support PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to win the 2023 election.
Senator Sani asserted that if in the next two weeks, the prolonged face-off between the five governors and Atiku is not resolved, it will never be resolved.
According to Sani, the political squabbles between the PDP G5 governors and Atiku has dragged on for a long time, pointing out that it is time all the parties in the dispute ended the political crisis to pave way for PDP’s victory in next year’s elections.
Source: Legit.ng
