The five aggrieved governors under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have demanded the support of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for the PDP governorship and senatorial candidates in their respective states.
This was part of the conditions presented to Tinubu during his meeting with the governors in London, United Kingdom, on Tuesday, December 27.
In attendance at the meeting were Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, and the governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The governors alongside Donald Duke, Jonah Jang, Olusegun Mimiko, former governors of Cross River, Ondo and Plateau states, respectively, as well as a Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Chief Bode George, are defiant in their call for the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the party.
A reliable source disclosed that the five governors were concerned about their political careers and sought assurances from Tinubu.
Though Wike is not contesting for any position in the 2023 general elections, he was concerned about his protégé, Siminalayi Fubara, who is the Rivers state PDP governorship candidate, and other PDP senatorial candidates in the state.
Meanwhile, Makinde is running for a second term while Ortom will be contesting as the Benue north-west senatorial district candidate in the polls.
Also, Ikpeazu is the PDP candidate for Abia south senatorial district and Ugwuanyi is running for the Enugu north senatorial district.
However, there are different accounts of the final decisions of both the governors and Tinubu on the demand.
A source close to the APC presidential candidate on Thursday, December 29, said that a final agreement could not be reached as a result of the ‘complex demands’ made by the governors.
According to him, the PDP governors made an overture to Tinubu to guarantee both the senatorial and governorship seats in their states, a demand the former Lagos state governor could not grant immediately as he needed to consult with his advisers and loyalists.
The source noted that Tinubu may not be willing to concede to the demand with less than two months to the 2023 elections.
He said that, “The G-5 governors do not hold the four aces. As it stands, they are actually seeking shelter.
“The major hitch we have is that all the members of the G-5 demanded for the governorship and senatorial seats in exchange for the big prize.
“Now, the question is, how are going to throw our people in Rivers, Plateau and Benue under the bus? I am worried about Benue, where we have low-hanging fruits.
“Of course, it is obvious we are set to win Benue state with Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, who we are sure will sweep the governorship poll.
“There is also the APC governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin, who is prominent in Oyo state.
“These are complex situations that we are still grappling with and I can tell you that is where we are. The PDP governors are astute people who are very good in politics,’’ he added.
The source also noted that there were increasing pressures on the APC presidential candidate to call the bluff of the Integrity Group by not conceding any positions to them.
Except for Rivers, the source said that it had been projected that Benue and Oyo states would fall because of the volume of mobilisation campaigns that had been carried out in the two states.
He added that, “Whether Makinde likes it or not, Oyo will fall. Abia has never been our ground.
“We also lost in Enugu and Benue states in 2019 where we failed to get 25 percent. Yet, we still won the presidency.
“I can tell you that without Ortom, we have a very good chance of winning Benue state in 2023 with Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.
“But we know Rivers State is where we are very vulnerable and may need Wike to push up. These are the five states that we lost yet won the presidential election in 2019.
“The truth, however, remains that Tinubu knows that these five states are not the tipping points to win.
“It is just to make his victory double sure that we have to pitch tent with them.
“However, they are not in a position to stamp their feet, draw the line and impose conditions on Tinubu.
“Their support is inevitable because these governors really have nowhere else to go,” he added.
On whether there is a chance Tinubu might meet the group again in January before they announce their preferred candidate, the politician disclosed that the negotiation had not ended.
The source said that, “It is an ongoing conversation. The point is that Tinubu must carry the people (candidates) within those states along with our internal structures.
“Tinubu must consider these factors before opting for a pyrrhic victory but he still has to talk to other leaders of our party,” he added.
A source in the PDP governors’ camp, on Thursday, confirmed the demand they placed before Tinubu.
He, however, said that a decision had been taken regarding the governors’ support for the APC presidential candidate.
He said that, “Agreements have been reached and decisions have been taken. The announcement will be made in January.
“Nigerians will be informed on the decisions that have been made.”
Also, a presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, in a tweet on Thursday, stated that, “The offer put forward by the five PDP governors was fantastically positive. That will definitely help us seal our victory. Let us do it together.”
Meanwhile, there are indications that the aggrieved PDP governors would arrive in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Friday, December 30, after their meeting with Tinubu in the UK.
The governors equally met with a former deputy president of the senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who has been in detention in London, for alleged involvement in an attempted organ harvesting since June 2022, according to The Punch.
A close aide of one of the governors dismissed the threat by the PDP leadership to sanction the governors, adding that they did nothing wrong to warrant the invocation of relevant provisions of the party constitution on the discipline of members.
The source stated that, “They will brief the press on Friday as soon as they arrive in Port Harcourt.
“They may speak on their preferred candidate of course but their stand is that the party cannot sanction them because they have not done anything wrong.
‘’As it is, they believe they are championing a cause backed by the PDP constitution in matters of fairness and equity.
“So, their argument is that they are on track in demanding that after eight years of presidency in the north, the south should be supported to have a shot at it,’’ he added.
The national publicity secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, while reacting to the development, said that PDP would not address the issue until the governors speak on their preferred candidate, adding that, “Ours is a party of order and rules. Until we get to the bridge, we won’t cross it.”
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