As PDP’s Atiku goes into the ring without G-5 governors

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The 18 registered political parties are fielding candidates for today’s presidential and National Assembly elections. Of these eighteen parties, however, only about four are, arguably, firmly on ground. But all the frontline parties, undoubtedly, are entering into today’s contest with their various baggages.

While some of these parties are battling with the issue of internal disunity, others are suffering from self inflicted injuries.

For instance, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is contending with the issue of disagreement with its aggrieved group of five Governors, now popularly known as G-5, the APC on the other hand is battling with some of its governors, who have now, believably, appropriated to themselves the role of an opposition. Some have rightly dubbed it the enemies within. The Labour Party, on its part, is still dealing with the issue of claims that it is a party existing mainly in the social media and various obstacles the party is facing in the South Eastern part of the country, where its presidential flag bearer, Mr Peter Obi comes from. Some people in the region, believed to be members of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Nnamdi Kanu, currently in detention, are still threatening that elections won’t hold in the region.

As it stands today, all entreaties by the opposition PDP to mend fences with the Governor Wike-led G-5 did not yield positive results. The party having failed to achieve reconciliation with the five aggrieved governors elected on its platform is, therefore, going into the crucial presidential election without the support of these states’ chief executives whose support, analysts believe, would have made a lot of difference.

These aggrieved governors are; Mr Nyeson Wike (Rivers), Dr Sam Ortom (Benue), Engr Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Dr Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

The problem of the G-5 Governors with the PDP began in June, 2022, shortly after the party’s presidential primaries which produced former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP. Upon the emergence of Atiku, who is from Adamawa State in the Northern part of the country, the G-5 governors, along with some leaders and chieftains from the Southern part of the country, pushed for the National Chairmanship of the party, which was already being occupied by Dr Iyorchia Ayu from Benue State, also in the Northern part of the country, to shift to the South.

The argument of the G-5 governors is that both the presidential candidate of the PDP and its National Chairman can not come from one region (North). The national leadership of the party and it’s presidential candidate on the other hand, had argued that due to the cumbersome process involved in the choice of a new helmsman of the party as prescribed by the party’s constitution, the status quo should remain until the outcome of the 2023 elections are known.

At a point, like the foremost novelist, Late Chinua Achebe, wrote in his widely celebrated novel: ‘Things Fall Apart”, things truly fell apart between the PDP and the G-5 Governors and the centre could no longer hold, while the falcon could also no longer hear the falconer, and anarchy was ultimately was losed upon the opposition party.

Since then, the relationship between the

PDP and it’s G-5 governors became a ding dong or a cat and mouse affairs. All attempts at reconciliation failed. None of the two partiesbetween the PDP and G-5 was ready to shift grounds.

The affected governors, from their words and actions, have made it succinctly clear that they will not work for the PDP presidential candidate at today’s elections. The Benue State Governor, Ortom has been openly canvassing support for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi. He had even said that he was ready and willing to jettison his senatorial aspiration for Obi.

Wike on his part said he had told his supporters who, among the presidential candidates, to vote for at today’s polls. Though he did not name names, his body language, analysts say, seems to be in favour of APC’ Ahmed Tinubu. As a matter of fact, the governor has been reported to have instructed the local government chief executives and other foot soldiers to ensure that the state delivers the presidential APC candidate today.

Curiously however, Ortom, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are all running on the platform of PDP for senatorial seats in their States, while Governor Makinde is also seeking a second time as the Governor of Oyo State. The Oyo governor is supporting the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The crisis between the G-5 governors and the party worsened to the extent that the PDP presidential candidate could not go to Rivers State for his presidential campaign rally, citing threats to lives and property of his supporters as reason.

In the four remaining states, the governors shunned the PDP presidential rallies.

This development, political analysts believed, is capable of having a negative impact on the chances of Atiku Abubakar at today’s election.

Atiku, who later met with some PDP stakeholders from Rivers in Abuja last Sunday night, explained that the decision to cancel PDP presidential campaign in Rivers State was to avert bloodshed.

The PDP presidential flag bearer, who declared that his political ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian, stressed that the party’s presidential campaign rally was shelved to avert possible unleashing of violent attacks on PDP supporters by enemies of the party during the aborted rally.

Atiku stated that the unique means of meeting with Rivers PDP leaders in Abuja was a sacrifice he has to make for the sake of the nation’s democratic process.

His words, “Although, we did not wish for this, it became expedient that we think and act innovatively to protect the lives of our people from the mindless violence and bloodshed instigated by the very persons who have the primary responsibility for their security and wellbeing.

“Our campaign and indeed the PDP subscribe fully to the position that no political ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.

“Clearly, events on the ground in Rivers State and this gathering here at the insistence of our Rivers PDP family, confirm the historic relationship between me and Rivers state,” he said.

Atiku made it clear that his relationship with the people of Rivers State has endured for decades, stressing that he was not surprised that Rivers State and Rivers people are bound by destiny to be critical stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Atiku/Okowa presidency in multiple ways.

He reassured Rivers people that the state will regain its preeminent position in the governance and politics of Nigeria.

The PDP presidential candidate however, urged Rivers PDP members to keep the faith, even in the face of harassment and needless violent intimidation, turn out massively today and cast their votes as usual for PDP.

“I assure you that your sacrifice and support will be fully rewarded,” he promised.

Rivers State is one of the states which returned massive votes for the PDP presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election which Atiku lost to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Oyo State is also another state with large number of registered voters. That is why analysts are of the opinion that support from these states can actually enhance Atiku’s performance in the polls.

But can the withdrawal of support by the five governors hurt the PDP’s overall performance in today’s elections?

The National Publicity Secretary of the

PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba thinks the answer to the question is No.

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja, Hon Ologunagba, a lawyer and two-term member of the House of Representatives, expressed the firm optimism that its five aggrieved governors, popularly called G-5, who are led by the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyeson Wike, will work for the party in today’s elections.

Hon Ologunagba pointed out that members of the G-5 Governors of the party are all stakeholders who have benefitted from it and would not do anything to hurt the party’s interest.

He explained that the G-5 Governors still have a lot of things to benefit by sticking with the party as well voting for it’s presidential candidate today to emerge the next President of the country.

The National Publicity Secretary was optimistic that the differences between the PDP and the G-5 Governors can still be resolved, saying, “24 hours is too much in politics for issues to be resolved”.

Continuing, Ologunagba said, “Through the course of the campaign, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa energetically traversed the nooks and crannies of our country, engaging various segments of Nigerians in diverse fora; consultative meetings, interactive sessions, Town Hall meetings, faith-based platforms, media interviews and political rallies articulating their plans, solutions and selling the message of hope to Nigerians.

“Atiku Abubakar continues to demonstrate that he is a Pan-Nigeria leader with the required experience, capacity, integrity, stamina, presence of mind, commitment, sense of duty and readiness to lead our nation at this critical time”.

But the facts on ground suggest otherwise as at the time of going to press as no reconcilation of any sort has been achieved. As a matter of fact, the national Secretariat of the party and its presidential candidate may have decided to take their destiny in their hands and call a bluff of the aggrieved governors.

Accordingly, the question whether Atiku Abubakar will come out smiling from today’s election without the support of the G-5 governors and their supporters will be answered in a few hours from now.