President Bola Tinubu convened a meeting with five governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who held reservations about the candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the upcoming 2023 general elections.
The meeting, which took place at the State House in Abuja, involved former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, former Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
The gathering reflects the ongoing political dynamics within the PDP ahead of the upcoming elections.
The PDP G5 in the struggle to frustrate Atiku and the PDP in the elections, demanded the resignation of former PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, from office and his replacement with a southern national chairman. Their grouse was the party’s disregard of zoning the presidential ticket to the south.
The governors subsequently refused to support Atiku and the PDP in the presidential election won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
All the PDP G5 members were in attendance, including Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
Former Governor WIke had visited President Tinubu two times in the past few weeks; the Thursday meeting which includes the PDP G5 is the third visit of Wike to the State House, Abuja, in the past two weeks.
Wike’s frequent visits to President Tinubu at the State House had raised insinuations of plans to defect to the APC. The former Rivers State Governor, however, refuted the insinuation at all time.