PDP Crisis: Gov Udom Emmanuel Makes Last Minute Effort To Pacify G-5 Govs

Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, is still hopeful of winning back five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that the governor, who is the chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council of the PDP, is making moves to pacify Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his four other allies who have tagged themselves as G5 Governors into accepting the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.

Recall that the G5 governors, also known as the Integrity Group, include Governor Wike, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State) and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

The Wike-led group have expressed their concern over the zoning style of the party, demanding that the national chairmanship position of the party should be stripped off Iyorchia Ayu, while a Southerner occupies the seat.

This was one of their conditions for supporting Atiku’s candidacy. In a report on Monday morning, Daily Post quoted sources as saying that Akwa Ibom Governor is hopeful that his ‘last’ move will bring back the G5, a development they described as belated.

According to the source, Governor Emmanuel wants it to be on record that he made a concerted effort to reconcile the governors, but it didn’t work.

Reports are that the G5 governors are of different interests to support either the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, or Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi.

However, amid the speculations, the G-5 governors have laid low on who they will support for the presidency as they now concentrate on their state-level politics.

The G-5 Have Structures And Capacity

Recently, Gov Emmanuel met with Gov Ortom at the Akwa Ibom state governor’s lodge where they discussed about possibilities of making peace with the G-5 governors.

Governor Emmanuel acknowledged during the meeting that the governors have structures and capacity and should not be neglected if the party wanted to emerge victorious seamlessly, Naija News reports.

He also noted that the rift between the G-5 and the PDP leadership has reached a point where sacrifices must be made so that there can be peace and victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.

Recognizing the importance of unity in achieving any purpose, governor Emmanuel said, “We all came in as a family, whether you like it or not, these are brothers; even in the parable of the lost sheep in the Bible only one sheep got missing, and Jesus Christ left the rest and went after that one, how much more when you have brothers that are up to five

“You turn around on a campaign platform, you don’t see them suddenly, you will feel you need them, these are people you started together, I think I still feel empty that we are all not together on a campaign platform

“Someone like me I am pursuing peace and I want peace to reign, and once we can achieve that, our party will coast into victory.

“Governor Ortom made a statement and I am sure you listened to him. I agree one hundred per cent with him. We are ready to make peace, and I can assure our party that these are governors who have structures, and something to show, these are governors who have capacity. We will do everything possible to put the house together for the 2023 campaign.”

On his part, Gov Samuel Ortom noted that dialogue remained the key towards accommodating the interest of the party stalwarts, adding that the aggrieved governors never turned their back on dialogue and reconciliation when terms are met to fit with their interest.

“We have never said we have turned our back on dialogue and reconciliation, if the terms are met, why not, we will work if it fits in our own interest”, the Benue State Governor added, insisting that disregarding them despite their respective huge support bases, was not the best solution.

However, shortly after the meeting, hopes were high that resolution and reconciliation were underway until the G-5 jetted out to London to carefully choose between Ahmed Tinubu and Peter Obi to endorse before the polls, though it was gathered that they did not reach a consensus on the candidate to choose.

Meeting With Wike

Governor Emmanuel was unbothered by the cold reception and he went further to visit Rivers State Governor Wike in Port Harcourt.

Though the PDP chieftain claimed his visit was a mere brotherly visit, submissions are that it was in the interest of the party. Naija News understands that Emmanuel, accompanied by Governor Ortom, held a closed-door meeting with Wike that lasted for three hours.

While the outcome of the meeting is still sketchy, observers are of the opinion that Governor Emmanuel’s reconciliation effort will end in vain as the G5 are already determined.

According to the chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Akwa Ibom State, Dr Harry Udoh, Udom’s visit to Wike will not bring any positive result to the party.

He stressed that the governor’s peace movement is more of a personal interest.

“I don’t see any positive outcome from Udom’s visit to Wike. There are those who think the visit has more to do with his personal interest than with reconciling Wike with Atiku.

“Going by Wike’s utterances recently and his body language, it would seem like there is no love lost between the two, and Wike may not hold him at the level of regards that would enable him influence and sway Wike in any direction,” he said.

Despite all odds, Governor Emmanuel according to the report, is still hopeful that a die minutes decision would be made in favour of PDP and Atiku ahead of February 25th.