2023: Wike, Makinde, Ortom, Others Meet Tinubu In London

The five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors have met with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Naija News gathered that the G5 governors and members of the Integrity group met with the APC presidential candidate in London, United Kingdom on Tuesday.

It is understood that Tinubu and the standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, are the two candidates jostling for the support of the PDP governors.

According to The Nation, the aggrieved governors met with Tinubu in London after they finally ruled out any chances of supporting the PDP flagbearer in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar.

Details Of Tinubu’s Meeting With PDP Governors Emerge

Meanwhile, the details of the meeting between the five aggrieved governors popularly known as the G-5 governors, and Tinubu have emerged.

Naija News earlier reported that the PDP governors met with the APC flagbearer on Tuesday in London, the United Kingdom ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Recall that Ortom, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) have refused to back the presidential bid of the PDP flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, demanding the resignation or removal of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

A source at the meeting told The Punch on Wednesday that Tinubu and his team lobbied the PDP governors for their endorsement during the marathon meeting.

The source said the APC flagbearer met with the Integrity group along with a delegation that included governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state and former governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi.

He stated that the governors didn’t give an answer to Tinubu’s request for their endorsement, saying that the PAC flagbearer will be waiting for the Wike’s camp to make the official pronouncement in January.

“Tinubu met with the aggrieved governors yesterday (Tuesday) along with a delegation that included (Kayode) Fayemi, (Babajide) Sanwo-Olu, one other governor, and an ex-governor.

“For now, we are only waiting for the G-5 governors to make the official pronouncement in January,” the source was quoted as saying.

Though the source was silent on what the demands of the aggrieved governors were, saying he wouldn’t want to speculate.

He told The Puch that the PDP governors have declared at the meeting that they were not supporting any other candidate.

He was quoted as saying: “I don’t have details about that. What I know is that they have met and declared their indication at the meeting that they are not supporting any other candidate.”

Sanwo-Olu In Nigeria

Meanwhile, it is unclear if Sanwo-Olu and Fayemi were at the meeting as another source claimed said the Lagos governor was in Nigeria.

“I have received several inquiries on this report of the governor’s supposed to travel with Asiwaju (Tinubu) and I can tell you that he is still in Nigeria.

“In fact, I spoke with him twice today (Wednesday). Even if he were to travel to meet the G-5 Governors outside the country, it is not something he would want to disclose, but he is very much in the country,” the source said.

After their meeting in London, the governors are set to announce their preferred presidential candidate in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on January 5.

An aide to one of the governors said the Wike’s camp may heed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s advice that the South East should produce the next President in 2023.

While the governors are said to be focused on supporting a southern candidate, they also want to choose a candidate that would defeat Atiku so they won’t become a subject of mockery after the 2023 polls.

The governors may likely support Obi as a result of Obasanjo’s counsel and unveil him on January 5 when Governor Makinde will kick off his re-election campaign in Ibadan.