The five aggrieved then-governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the next general election.
Last year, five governors of the PDP led by current Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, supported Mr Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to trounced the opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the three-horse race that included Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
Mr Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) refused to support their party’s presidential candidate over squabbles within, including the demand for the resignation of the national party chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, who is equally from the North as Atiku.
They argue that it was unfair for the presidential candidate and national chairman of the party to come from the same region.
Except for Mr Makinde who is now on his second term, the other state helmsmen were outgoing governors who opted for power shift to the South, choosing the APC candidate over Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra state.
Mr Tinubu won, took over power and made the leader of the former governors known as G5, the minister of the nation’s capital.
At a banquet in Port Harcourt at the weekend, Mr Wike and his camp declared support for the re-election of the president who is 8 months in office and yet to declare his intention for another term of four years.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr Ortom said if former President Muhammadu Buhari, which according to him, did not rule well was allowed a second term in office, then the Nigerian leader he described as an administrator should also be re-elected.
“If we work to ensure Bola Ahmed succeeds, there will be tomorrow for anybody to even contest the election at all,” the former Benue governor said. “Our leader, Nyesom Wike, has already made a declaration that in 2027, we are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We have nowhere to go because that is what Nigerians believe. Even the past administration that took Nigeria from top to bottom, we allowed them to work for eight years. So, why can’t a seasoned administrator in the person President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rule us for eight years?” he queried.
