Northern PDP Governor Dumps Atiku, Invites Wike, Ortom, G5 Govs For Campaign Flag-off

Following his running battle with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, Governor Bala Mohammed has invited the G-5 governors to Bauchi State to flag off his campaign for a second term.

The G5 governors are Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Samuel Ortom of Benue.

Naija News reports that Bala Mohammed, who is yet to openly declared his membership of the G-5 governors, had accused Atiku and his loyalists of working to frustrate his re-election.

In a letter to the National chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the governor had accused Atiku of threatening to “punish” him for contesting against him during the party’s presidential primary in May.

He stated that “I may withdraw from the PCC and feel free to create new measures and strategies that would guarantee the election and re-election of all PDP candidates in Bauchi and myself” if the issues were not resolved.

In what many would see as a failure to reolve the lingering crisis, Governor Mihammed has now turned to the G-5 governors for support in his re-election bid.

A source told Daily Trust that the five aggrieved governors would fly to Bauchi to flag-off Bala’s campaign billed for Wednesday.

The source said, “As I speak with you, the G-5 governors are ready to attend Bala Mohammed’s campaign flag-off in Bauchi. All arrangements have been concluded, and I can confirm that to you. Except any new development comes up which I do not envisage, the governors will be in Bauchi.”

The source, who is a member of the PDP Integrity Group, stated that the governors would move from Bauchi to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to also attend the campaign of one of their members, Governor Seyi Makinde, billed for Thursday, January 5.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor, Taiwo Adisa, said: “Yes, I can confirm to you that all is set for the flag-off of his excellency’s campaign on Thursday.”

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State chapter of the PDP has denied knowledge of the G-5 governors attending Bala Mohammed’s campaign flag-off.

The state publicity secretary of the party, who is also the spokesman of the campaign committee, Yayanu Zainabari said, “I cannot give you any assurance about their coming because I don’t have any information of whether they are coming or not.”