The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has reportedly canvassed for the endorsement of the five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This was at a marathon meeting on Tuesday held in London, the United Kingdom.
Led by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, others are Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). Known as the Integrity Group, it also has some political leaders from the South who have vowed not to support the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar over the insistence of the party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu not to resign after Atiku obtained the presidential ticket of the party.
Both Atiku and Ayu are from the North, and the protesting governors and their allies are seeking for regional balancing of the two key positions.
But hours after the governors meeting with Tinubu, the PDP said it was not aware of their parley, noting that as far it was concerned, the governors were in the UK on vacation.
The main opposition party, however, threatened to punish the governors for any anti-party activities, stressing that it had the capacity to discipline the recalcitrant governors.
A source said about the London meeting: “Tinubu met with the aggrieved governors yesterday (Tuesday) along with a delegation that included (Kayode) Fayemi, (Babajide) Sanwo-Olu, one other governor and an ex-governor. For now, we are only waiting for the G-5 governors to make the official pronouncement in January”.
On what the demands of the aggrieved governors were, the source declined speaking, saying he wouldn’t want to speculate.
“I don’t have details about that. What I know is that they have met and declared their indication at the meeting that they are not supporting any other candidate”.
A member of the PDP National Working Committee, Timothy Osadalor said that the party has what it takes to impose the necessary sanctions on the governors should they make real their threat of dumping the party’s presidential candidate.
Osadolor, who is the Deputy National Youth Leader of the party, further dared the governors to endorse their preferred candidate so the party could take appropriate steps against them.
He said: “These governors know the party they belong to; they know what the party can do. Should they take this step they have been working on for a while now and the party will do what is necessary.
“We want to believe that they are in the United Kingdom for vacation and so reacting to speculations is not what we should be doing now. We want to assure Nigerians that if they take that decision and support a candidate other than ours, the PDP will act. Let me put it straight: this party has the capacity to discipline them and any member who tries to undermine its will”.’
PDP spokesman, Barrister Debo Ologunagba said that the party would apply relevant provisions of its constitution when the need arose. According to him, all members, including the governors, are aware of this.
He said: “The PDP is a party of constitution, rules and procedures. We don’t react to speculations. In taking decisions, we look at the our party constitution in relation to issues. Whatever happens, it is the constitution that will guide the action we will take.
“These governors are conversant with the PDP constitution having sworn to uphold it. If they take that action (endorse a rival presidential candidate), we will take a decision in line with the provisions of the constitution.
“They have contributed to the success of the party and they have also benefited immensely from the party. They should know that the provisions of the constitution are applicable to every member of the party.
“Reconciliation is not 100m dash but a marathon. We hope they will realize this and embrace the party for good”.
On his part, the Director of Strategic Communications, National Election Management Committee of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Chief Dele Momodu, said there was nothing new in the governors’ threat to endorse a presidential candidate of their choice.
He, however, urged the Wike-led group to make good its promise to enable the election management committee to react appropriately.
He noted: “There is nothing new in this speculation. The party has done its best to resolve these issues all to no avail. So, what I can say now is that they should make their position official.
“We can’t continue like this. They have been issuing this threat since Governor Wike lost the primary election to Atiku Abubakar. As a party, we did our best to reconcile and forge a way forward. Atiku embraced the peace option but you can’t say the same of the other group.
“Talk of Iyorchia Ayu, the chairman of the party is an old story. Nobody is listening anymore. We are preparing for a major election and we are confident of victory. The PDP is too big to be distracted.
“We can’t respond to ‘ifs’. They should come up with their position on who they are supporting and then, we can address the issue. Let us wait for them and see what they come up with”.
For the spokesman for the Tinubu-Shettima presidential campaign council, Barrister Festus Keyamo, the situation has created high expectation in the APC camp.
Keyamo said that the doors of the party are open to Wike and other members of the Integrity Group.
Keyamo, who frowned on the manner the group was treated by Atiku, said that the governors were simply fighting to restore geo-political balancing in the country.
He said, “Regarding Wike, the PDP has treated him very badly and every right thinking person can see that. Even from the opposite side, we can say that what is unjust is unjust. They may say that some people like us are not competent to speak on the internal affairs of that party.
“The truth of the matter is that the struggle of the G-5 governors is not based on the internal issues of the PDP alone. It is based on matters regarding geo-political balancing in the country. So, it goes beyond matters within the PDP. You will agree with me that these are grave matters of national concern.
“They may quickly point to our issue too that might have to do with religion. Let me tell you that in matters of rotation and balancing in the country, what has always existed and been of paramount importance is the geo-political balancing, not religious balancing. The injustice in the PDP is far deeper and more fundamental than anyone can think. So, the struggles of Wike and others are very genuine in our mind and we sympathise with them”.
Source: The PUNCH
