Speculations are rife that the aggrieved G-5 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the 2023 general elections might be accommodated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after talks late Tuesday.
According to the Vanguard, leader of the group, Nyesom Wike who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had a meeting with the former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, former Enugu State Governor, Ifianyi Ugwuanyi, his Abia State counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu and serving Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde at his residence in Abuja before heading to the Presidential Villa to meet with President Tinubu.
Although details of the meeting were not disclosed, observers suggest that talks held were hinged on the possibility of absorbing the former governors into the current administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The G-5 PDP Governors first met in Wike’s residence for a few hours before heading to the Villa to meet with the president.
“Exact details of what was discussed isn’t available to me at the moment, but from discussions held during the initial meeting at Wike’s residence, it was all about finding accommodation for the former governors in the scheme of things and of course, how they can work together,” the news outlet reported, quoting a source familiar with the matter.
The meeting comes barely 24 days before the kick off of the Imo State PDP governorship campaign in Owerri.
It would be recalled Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State and the aggrieved G-5 governors disassociated themselves from the PDP in the build up to the 2023 general election after the party’s primary where Wike lost to Atiku Abubakar.
Wike’s grouse with the leadership of the PDP was based on the fact that it was unconstitutional for the party to have two principal officers from the same region (Atiku Abubakar as they presidential candidate and Senator Iyorcha Ayu as the national chairman of the party).
Although Senator Ayu was eventually removed from office and replaced with another northerner – Umar Damagun who is currently in acting capacity.