The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: G-5 Governors

  • G-5 Governors keep silent on preferred presidential candidate

    G-5 Governors keep silent on preferred presidential candidate

    Five governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic (PDP), known as G-5 Governors, or Integrity Group, yesterday, kept silence on their preferred presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

    The five governors comprising Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo), however, said they remain committed members of PDP.

    They implored Nigerians to vote for all the party’s governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly candidates in February and March elections.

    The governors were all in Ibadan, yesterday, for the official flag off of the re-election campaign of Governor Seyi Makinde, held at the Mapo Hall Arcade, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Having rejected all entreaties to support the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, guests at the event had expected the governors to end the long wait by unveiling their preferred presidential candidate as promised by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

    But in their speeches, yesterday, none of the governors spoke about who they would support between Peter Obi of Labour Party and Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Wike, who described Makinde as a dependable young man enjoined Nigerians to vote for all governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly candidates of PDP. He added that for the presidential election, the Oyo State people will hear from Governor Makinde.

    “During this year’s general elections, vote for Seyi (Makinde), vote for the senators, vote for the House of Representatives, and vote for House of Assembly. But the other one, Seyi will talk to you,” he said thrice, referring to who to support in the presidential election.

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, who was introduced by Makinde as leader of the G-5 Governors, solicited support of the people of Oyo State for the re-election bid of Makinde.

    He said the G-5 Governors were committed members of PDP in their various states, but battling a common challenge with the national leadership of the party for failing to resolve problems that arose after the convention.

    “All our candidates are going to win the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly. We are going to deliver to PDP,” he said.

    Abia and Enugu governors,Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi tasked the people to vote for Makinde based on his achievements.

    Makinde, in his address, thanked his G-5 colleagues, the PDP members in Oyo State, and people of the state for giving him their mandate in 2019. He reeled out his achievements and asked the people to support his re-election bid.

    “Under Omituntun 1.0 (referring to his first term in office), I promised a government that would put people of Oyo State first. And our decisions have always taken the people of Oyo State first. Now, it is time to upgrade. It is time for Omituntun 2.0,” he said.

    Absent at the event were the party’s chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, presidential candidate, Atiku, and Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, and governorship candidates of the party in Ogun and Lagos states.

    (Sun)

  • I’m not troubled by plots of G-5 governors – Atiku

    I’m not troubled by plots of G-5 governors – Atiku

    Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said he was not perturbed by plots of five aggrieved governors of the party, popularly known as G-5, to endorse presidential candidates of other political parties.

    He said power comes from God and he was confident that no man could arrogate to himself the powers that God alone has.

    This is as the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said contrary to media reports, the opposition party was yet to take a decision on sanctioning the five governors for alleged anti-party activities.

    The G-5 governors, comprising Governors Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu and Seyi Makinde of Rivers, Benue, Enugu, Abia and Oyo states, respectively, alongside their supporters, have been on a warpath with the PDP leadership and Atiku, following the nomination of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as vice presidential candidate.

    The G-5 governors, who are also insisting on the replacement of PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, with a Southerner as condition for peace, have continued to stay away from the party’s presidential campaign, and other party activities, while several efforts to resolve the crisis have been unsuccessful.

    Earlier, in the week, there were reports that the aggrieved governors, had gone to London for a meeting, to adopt either the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi or Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) for the 2023 poll.

    However, Atiku, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said any person boasting of having such powers to stop his presidential bid, should first make himself president.

    “Atiku will be president. Whether the cock crows or not, the sun must rise. Power belongs to God Almighty; no man can arrogate to himself the powers of God Almighty. Any man who can boast of stopping Atiku should first make himself president of Nigeria.”

    Shaibu told the reporter that Atiku would not be surprised by whatever action the G-5 governors decided to take.

    “Atiku is an elephant. Even when an elephant walks on thorns, it does not limp. And when you have seen a snake, it cannot bite you any more. In this case, we have seen the snake, how can we be taken by surprise?”

    Meanwhile, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba told Daily Sun that all the talks of alleged plans to sanction the G-5 governors were in the realm of speculations.

    He said it would be premature to begin to guess what the reaction of the PDP would be on the alleged plan by the aggrieved governors to endorse the presidential candidates of other political parties.

    “I want to make it clear that this party will take appropriate action in line with its constitution as event unfolds. PDP is already campaigning. We are focused on the elections, we are determined to win. Nigerians are looking up to the PDP to provide the leadership they deserve, and to take it away from the monumental damage that the APC government has done to this country. And we are not going to be distracted by anyone from any quarters, whether from within or outside,” he said.

    He, however, said peace talks were still going on between the party and the aggrieved governors, expressing the optimism that the G-5 will realise that they have roles to play in PDP quest to rescue the country through the 2023 polls.

    “You will recall that the Governor of Rivers State, who was an aspirant for the presidential ticket declared publicly to the whole world at the convention ground that if anybody wins he would support that person and that if he wins he will expect that people will give him. I believe that he will keep his word. I am sure that he knows that history beckons on him and that his word should be his bond,” he said.

    (Sun)

  • Tinubu to meet with G-5 Governors

    Tinubu to meet with G-5 Governors

    To finalise the deal on the 2023 presidency, five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to meet with the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the reporter has reliably gathered.

    A reliable source close to the former Lagos State governor, said barring any last-minute change, the meeting will be held in one of the European countries this week.

    The source, who refused to give the exact date of the meeting, however, said it is being conveyed to firm up their deal on the 2023 presidency with the governors.

    He said the G-5 governors, comprising Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) would after the meeting make their preferred presidential candidate known to the public.

    The governors, it was gathered are already in the United Kingdom ahead of the meeting.

    “The support by G5 for Tinubu is going to be a game changer, akin to the declaration of the G6 for the APC in 2014.

    “We are meeting with the group this week in Europe to firm up the arrangement. They are first-class nationalists who believe in the Nigeria project and we shall work together for the good of the nation,” he said.

    Arising from the presidential primaries of the PDP that produced a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the reporters reports that there has been a crisis rocking the leading opposition party.

    The nomination of the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the vice presidential candidate ballooned the internal wrangling with the five governors calling for the head of the national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

    Several efforts by the various organs of the party to pacify the governors have hit the rock.

    We will respect all agreements – Asiwaju’s associate

    A member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council said all agreements with the five governors would be respected.

    “Wike’s movement and key members of our team are like-minded and contemporaries. We are going to honour and respect all commitments we have entered into with them,” he said.

    Reminded that one of the aggrieved governors, Ortom was inching towards Obi, the party chief, a former governor said; “For Peter Obi, the political arithmetic does not add up. No one bludgeons his way to the Nigerian Presidency through insults, threats and blackmail. It’s by building bridges that leaders emerge in Nigeria.”

    Ortom had described Obi as the best person who can solve Nigeria’s socioeconomic problems.

    (Daily Trust)