2023: G-5 Yet To Adopt Presidential Candidate

The five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) identified as the G-5 governors with less than one week to the presidential and National Assembly elections are yet to adopt a presidential candidate.

The governors include Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

The governors have expressed their grievances over the continuous stay of the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

The G-5 governors had called for Ayu’s resignation over northern dominance in key positions in the party.

The governors had threatened not to support the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, leaving them with the option of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and the flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.

A member of the National Executive Committee of the PDP, Diran Odeyemi in a chat with Punch on the governor’s preferred candidate, claimed that Governor Makinde knows that his chances of winning a second term as a governor are brighter if he supports Atiku.

Odeyemi said, “When Makinde flagged off his re-election campaign with his other four colleague governors; the people were chanting Atiku.

“Unlike Wike, he allows the party structure to work and campaign for the former Vice President. I think this is because he knows the importance of the PDP’s flag to his re-election bid. Staying on the side of Atiku even without saying so is a smart move for him.”

An associate of Governor Ortom who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The governor (Ortom) has already inaugurated an Obi team, using his most trusted aides and allies.”

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the Integrity Group, Bode George has revealed the reason why the group and the G-5 are yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

According to George, the G-5 governors had not met with the Integrity Group since they met in Lagos in November 2022.

He also stated that a meeting of the whole would soon be arranged to harmonise the individual choices of the members of G-5.

When asked when the preferred presidential candidate will be announced he said, “Look 24 hours in politics is a long time, and if you multiply 24 hours by 22, you know how many hours you are going to get for the decision to be made.

“Yes, the G-5 people have met, they have been talking but they are looking forward to fixing a meeting for the integrity group, where there will be a lot of very healthy in-depth analysis and discussion before we come out.”

A chieftain of the PDP and former member of the National Assembly, Olaka Wogu also said the G-5 governors are not divided over the choice of a presidential candidate.

Wogu said, “They have a stand and they have a method in place. The impact may not be the way people want, but what matters is that they have an impact of a conviction. They have never been divided. When people say they are divided, you see them together and it is unending.”