Wike joins Ortom to quash rumour of G5 deal with Tinubu

Wike joins Ortom, wonders why Atiku bothers about G5

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

G5 mastermind Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has confirmed disclosure by his ally Benue Governor Samuel Ortom that the Integrity Group did not agree at their retreat in London to support Bola Tinubu to win the presidential vote next month.

“It’s not true. There is nothing like that. As experienced as we are, if we are doing anything, we will let the public know,” Ortom told Nigerian Tribune on telephone from London last Thursday before the group returned to Nigeria.

Wike, G5 chief strategists, took it up from there when they arrived Port Harcourt at the weekend, denying he his allies in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Integrity Group struck a deal to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

Other members of the G5 are Governos Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

Wike noted at the foundation laying ceremony of the Eneka-Igbo Etche road construction the media speculated many unfounded things without proof.

His words: “I am not someone who will go and see somebody and hide. Hide for who? Who is that person that will threaten me? They said Wike had a deal with so, so, and so person.

“Meanwhile, no video, no anything. And some of you waste time listening to such things. Don’t you know when I want to do something, I do it? You don’t need to speculate.

“They said we had a meeting with so and so. What is your problem? Assuming there was a meeting, has Atiku not been holding meetings with governors of APC? Ask him.

“As he is in Dubai, don’t we know what is going on? So, why do you bother about us G5, that you said you can win without us? Leave us alone.”

“Just [for us] to unwind is a problem to some people. Some people say they have moved on, ‘don’t bother about G5’. Why is he bothered about where we go to or where we don’t go to?

“We go to a club, you’re worried. We go and sleep, you’re worried. Yet, you tell Nigerians you don’t bother. They say there is trouble. There is no trouble, what we have is the introduction to trouble that will come.”

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Ayu’s resignation not negotiable

Wike said he is not bothered about the threat of expulsion from the PDP and wondered why those desiring to expel him are displaying anxiety instead of acting out their threat, and see if they will survive it, per reporting by ThisDay.

“When the time comes, we will know who has capacity and who does not have capacity.”

He repeated the minimum demand of the G5 is the resignation of Ayu as PDP National Chairman to allow a Southerner to occupy the office.

“We have made our demand and our demand is that the National Chairman must come to the South. It’s non-negotiable. If you say you don’t care, no problem. Let’s go to the field. No need to begin to threaten people, you will do this, you will do that.

“You say we are giving conditions, but you forget history. When [former] President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to run for second tenure, he knelt down before his Vice President [Atiku] and said ‘my vice please allow me to run.’

“One of the conditions [Atiku] gave him was that Tony Anenih must be sacked as the Minister of Works and that Anenih must not be on the presidential campaign council.

“Obasanjo obliged and sacked Anenih as Minister of Works and removed him from the presidential campaign council.”