PDP too handicapped to sanction power rotation agitators in justice cause
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“Atiku met with these Governors and told them he would bring the chairmanship to the South. If he is playing games with these Governors, they are also ready to play games with him. He is thinking that he is already in the Aso Rock Villa.
“People are lying to Atiku, telling him he would win without these Governors but he doesn’t know how angry our people (South West) are. The whole North will vote for him and let’s see how he will get 25 per cent of South West votes.”
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Nyesom Wike and his fellow Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G Fivers are in a justice cause for power rotation to the South and cannot be sanctioned so as not to completely wreck a house already divided, the party cabalists have realised.
The G5 Governors – Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) – rail against the arrogance of both PDP presidential candidate Atiku and National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu.
They demand Ayu fulfil his promise to resign for a Southerner to balance the power structure in the PDP dominated by Northerners. Atiku backs him up to remain in post.
The G5 say they will remain in the PDP but will not campaign for Atiku until Ayu quits – and they fire salvos daily at both Atiku and Ayu.
But the situation is too precarious for Atiku and Ayu to gang up and rein in the G5, according to the assessment of other senior members of the PDP.
Those who expressed this view include:
- Ibrahim Tsauri – PDP National Executive Committee (NWC) member and former National Secretary
- Bode George – former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South West) and former Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman
- Timothy Osadolor – PDP Deputy National Youth Leader
Ibrahim Tsauri
The G5 “are taking undue advantage of the powers they have.
“The party cannot implement any sanction now because the PDP is a truly national party that is interested in progress, not divisions,” Tsauri told The PUNCH which conducted the interviews.
A member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), who does not want his name in print, said: “Atiku wants Ayu to remain, so what do you want me to say?
“If the presidential candidate thinks he can win without the support of these Governors, good luck to him. Ayu is there with his mouth running, threatening everybody. We wish them the best of luck.”
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Related articles:
G5 arrowhead Wike declares he won’t vote Atiku
Ortom declares Benue won’t vote Atiku unless things change
Makinde vows to sabotage Atiku’s victory in Oyo if Ayu remains as national chairman
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Timothy Osadolor
“The party in its wisdom has decided to tolerate them. Wike is trying to damage the ticket of Atiku Abubakar so that in 2023 he will position himself for the 2027 elections,” he said, per The PUNCH.
“If Wike damages Atiku’s ticket, won’t he need the support of Northerners to run in 2027? Wike is putting himself on the wrong side of history and those clapping for him do not know that he is using them for his advantage.”
Bode George
“As an elder, we will continue to appeal to Ayu to put on his thinking cap. Atiku should remain a nationalist because he wants to govern Nigeria.
“Even if the party wants to do so [sanction them], the time is not now.
“As an elder of the party, if Atiku remains completely adamant that he will not listen and Ayu is blowing tantrums all over the place, whatever anybody wants to do, they will do it.
“These Governors are not pawns on the chessboard, and Atiku should know this.
“Atiku can’t be talking about the constitution of the party now. Could he have emerged as a presidential candidate if we had not set aside our constitution? What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
“Even if Atiku wins today, he has already planted discord in the minds of the people.
“Atiku met with these Governors and told them he would bring the chairmanship to the South. If he is playing games with these Governors, they are also ready to play games with him. He is thinking that he is already in the Aso Rock Villa.
“People are lying to Atiku, telling him he would win without these Governors but he doesn’t know how angry our people (South West) are. The whole North will vote for him and let’s see how he will get 25 per cent of South West votes.”