With less than two months to the 2023 presidential election, Nigerians anxiously await the next move of the aggrieved governors (G5 governors) on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Why the PDP is in Crisis
Governor Nyesom Wike, of Rivers State, and Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of his political party, PDP, have been at loggerheads after the opposition party’s primary election.
Asides the fact that Wike felt betrayed at the party's primaries, it is also speculated that part of his anger at the party was Atiku's choice of a vice presidential candidate; many had expected Wike to be selected as Atiku's running mate.
But severally, Wike has disclosed that his annoyance with the party is directed to the zone bias in the leadership of the party. Bode George explained that the founding fathers of the party had instituted a guideline that requires a balance in the zoning of the party leadership; hence, the presidential candidate of the party and the party chairman cannot be from the same zone.
The current situation is that Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the PDP, and Atiku Abubakar are both from the north, leaving the south little to no leadership influence on the party.
Wike claimed Atiku had after winning the party’s primary, promised that Ayu would resign. However, Atiku has failed to fulfill the promise, leading to the current crisis rocking the party.
Meet the G5 Governors:
Wike is not alone. The Rivers State helmsman has four other Governors solidly behind him. Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Seyi Makinde of oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and the governor of Enugu State, Ífeanyi Ugwuanyi are all backing every move and calls Wike makes.
These governors have openly declared that they will not support Atiku's campaign; hence, it becomes important who this strong fraction of the PDP will throw their weight behind.
Who will G5 governors endorse?
There were emerging speculations that the governors, led by Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, may end up throwing their weight behind Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party.
Wike had made good his promise of supporting Obi with logistics by providing vehicles and venue for his presidential rally in Port Harcourt recently.
He went on to vow that he would by January tell Rivers people and his supporters nationwide the candidate to vote for in the presidential election, vowing to move from State to State to campaign for that very candidate.
Right now, Wike and his aggrieved fellow governors are in London, United Kingdom, where they are expected to brainstorm and come up with a final stand on the candidate to support for the country’s top political position.
However, feelers emerged again Wednesday, December 28, 2022, that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had met for the second time with the governors.
The meeting, held in the United Kingdom, is a further push by Tinubu to secure the endorsement of the governors.
Their decision will change so many things and create fears in the minds of the other candidates and their supporters. The time of grace for the PDP presidential candidate has passed. Now is the time for the big decision that will turn the political narrative around.
Recall that Peter Obi is a friend to the bunch, as he was previously in the PDP. It is possible that the G5 governors might heed Obasanjo's advice to support Obi.
However, If Jagaban prevails on them, they might end up endorsing him because he has more power brokers on his side than Obi. Again, Tinubu enjoys more patronage among politicians than Obi, and the G5 governors may put interest over sentiments.