The squabble between the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the five aggrieved PDP governors, popularly known as G-5 governors has intensified, as Atiku appears to have taken the battle to them.
The aggrieved governors: Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), had since fallen out with Atiku over his alleged refusal to prevail on the party’s National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, to resign after the former vice President, who is also from the North, clinched the party’s presidential ticket. The governors insisted that it was unfair for the main opposition party to have the national chairman and presidential candidate from the region of the country.
The former vice president, Friday, challenged the governors to make themselves presidents of Nigeria before planning to stop him from achieving his political ambition. Atiku equally noted that he was not perturbed by the alleged plot of the G-5 governors to endorse another presidential candidate of their choice.
According to the Adamawa-born politician, he is an elephant that has seen everything and could not be taken by surprise by the aggrieved governors. Atiku, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said, “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”.
Conversely, the Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the G-5 governors have not endorsed any presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general election.
Wike, who is the leader of the group, described reports that the G-5 had struck any deal with a presidential candidate as untrue, saying he and his allies would make their decision known to Nigerians. The governor further accused Atiku of holding secret meetings with APC governors and failing to keep to his promise of not having the PDP presidential candidate and the party’s chairman from the same region.
Wike, however, urged detractors to leave members of the G5 alone, adding: “I just want to enjoy myself and my family”.
