PDP Govs in inaugural Forum, seek revival of party
By Emma Ogbuehi
In a bid to revive and strengthen the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), first and second term governors elected on its platform have scheduled an inaugural meeting of its Governors Forum. This is the first gathering of the body since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections.
Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Umo Eno, were re the early arrivals at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s lodge, the venue of the inaugural meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum in the current dispensation.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, later arrived at the meeting. The governor had joined party faithful in Bauchi in June where he called for a healing process to begin, following the divisions within the party in the months leading to the general election.
Also, present at the meeting at press time, were Sheriff Oborevwori, Dauda Lawal, Duoye Diri, and Ahmadu Fintiri, governors of Delta, Zamfara, Bayelsa, and Adamawa respectively.
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The meeting, which is expected to play host to all 13 governors elected on the platform of the party, will deliberate on a wide range of issues including the state of the nation as well as that of the PDP Governors’ Forum, the leadership of the party, among others.
Analysts see in the meeting by the governors, a significant move at repositioning the party after series of crisis that had rocked it lately. The high point of the confusion in its fold was the suspension of the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu from the party, earlier in the year.
Before then, peace had severally eluded the party. In fact, since the conclusion of the PDP presidential primary in May 2022, the party has been engrossed in serious internal squabbles. The crisis in its fold saw the then five governors, otherwise known as G5, comprising Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers), withdrawing their support for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the to the February 25 presidential election.
The impasse was also blamed for the poor performance of the PDP at the polls. Ikpeazu, Ortom and Ugwuanyi lost in their bids for senatorial election.
As if that was not enough, the party at a time, suspended former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, erstwhile Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose and others for anti-party activities. They were later recalled.
Faced with upcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo state, in November, governors of the party, are not taking things lightly, TheNiche learnt, on good authority. Part of the move to get the party back on the tracks is to have a formidable Governors Forum which will provide the needed unity of purpose among the members. Our reporter gathered that the November elections would feature prominently on the discussions by the governors.
