WIKE, OTHER G5 MEMBERS ABSENT AT ATIKU'S MEETING WITH INCOMING, OUTGOING PDP GOVERNORS

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Five governors operating under the G5 banner were noticeably absent at a meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, with current and soon-to-be-inaugurated governors, indicating the rift within the upper echelons of the party remains unresolved.

In a tweet posted on Thursday, Atiku said, “This afternoon, I joined other party leaders at the welcome reception for newly elected and returning governors, as well as send-forth for outgoing governors of our great party, the @OfficialPDPNig.”

“While congratulating the outgoing governors for having flown the flag of our party high with pride, I urge the incoming ones to set the pace for good governance in their respective states—as the hallmark of the PDP.”

It was clear that the G5 members – Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State — were absent at the meeting.

The falling-out between Atiku and the G5 began following the party’s presidential primary back in May 2022, which saw Atiku emerge as the nominee, widely considered a contravention of the party’s constitution and zoning principle.

The zoning concept states that President Muhammadu Buhari, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member from the north, should be succeeded by someone from the south since he is on the verge of reaching the constitutional limit of two four-year terms in office.

Though southern aspirant Wike was considered a frontrunner going into the presidential primary, his loss earned sympathy from other top party members who saw injustice in the former vice president winning the ticket.

The five governors banded together in their struggle for “equity, fairness and justice”. Among their demands was that the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, step down to resolve the complication of the presidential candidate and top party chief being from the same region.

The demand was not heeded. Still, in the lead-up to the February 25 presidential election, the G5 — also known as the Integrity Group — remained unequivocal in their refusal to support Atiku, a northerner, on the PDP’s zoning principles.

While there are strong indications that Wike and Makinde pitched their tents with APC’s Bola Tinubu in their respective states, Ortom, also a northerner, endorsed and all but campaigned for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.

Tinubu went on to win the election with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring him the President-elect, although Atiku and other candidates are challenging the declaration at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

The former vice president’s loss has been partly attributed to the conflict between him and the aggrieved PDP governors.