2023: G5 governors endorse all PDP candidates in Enugu, silent on Atiku

Members of the G5 governors have endorsed all the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State.

The group disclosed this during the campaign rally of the PDP in Enugu on Friday.

The G5, a group of aggrieved PDP governors, is being led by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

The governors are aggrieved with the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the party’s national leadership.

Apart from Mr Wike, other members of the group include Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and their Abia State counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu.

The group came about after the PDP presidential primary, where Nigeria’s former vice president, Atiku, defeated Mr Wike and others to become the party’s presidential candidate.

The group has been demanding the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to pave the way for a southerner to lead the party in order to achieve a “regional balance”.

The governors’ argument is that both Mr Ayu and Atiku hail from northern Nigeria.

Endorsing PDP candidates in Enugu

The PDP unveiled all its candidates and presented them with the party’s flag during the rally held at the popular Michael Okpara Square, Enugu.

Aside from Chimaroke Nnamani, the PDP’s senatorial candidate for Enugu East District, all other candidates of the party in the state, ranging from governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and House of Assembly candidates, were all presented with the flag.

Mr Nnamani, who did not attend the rally, was recently suspended by the PDP over alleged anti-party activities.

The G5 governors, during the PDP rally, endorsed the candidates of the party in the state, but were silent on Atiku, the party’s presidential candidate.

Mr Ikpeazu, governor of Abia State, was the only member of the G5 absent during the rally.

His absence was linked to the death of the PDP governorship candidate in Abia State, Uchenna Ikonne, whom he had picked as his preferred successor.

“Let me assure you that we will all pray for him, the governorship candidate, Peter Mbah and his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, our colleague, Governor Ugwuanyi, who is going to Senate and other candidates for the senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assembly elections in the state,” Mr Wike, the G5 leader, said on behalf the group during the rally.

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“We will all give the necessary support and make sure you emerge victorious in these elections coming 25 February and 11 March,” he added.

The Rivers State said he and other members of the G5 were in Enugu to show the people that the group was solidly behind Mr Ugwuanyi.

“Ugwuanyi is a dependable person. Ugwuanyi is somebody you can go to war with and your two eyes will be closed. Ugwuanyi is somebody that when he says yes, his yes is yes,” he said.

“And no wonder the entire people of Enugu State have shown it by coming to say, ‘my brothers, Ugwuanyi is our own, Mbah is our own.’”

In their separate remarks, Governors Ortom and Makinde of Benue and Oyo States respectively said the large crowd at the rally was an indication that Enugu will remain a PDP state and that all candidates of the party in the state would win in the general elections.

On his part, Mr Ugwuanyi applauded the people of the state for their support to the PDP in the state since 1999.

The governor urged the people to continue to support the PDP by voting for the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Mbah and other candidates of the party in the state, assuring that his administration would finish “strong and well” on 29 May.

Speaking on behalf of all the PDP candidates in the state who received the party’s flag, Mr Mbah commended the G5 governors for their “tireless pursuit of equity, justice and fairness” in the party and country.

The governorship candidate lauded Mr Ugwuanyi for his provision of infrastructure and investments in education and security in the state, and assured that he (Mbah) would sustain and consolidate on the achievements if elected.

Mr Mbah commiserated with Mr Ikpeazu and the people of Abia State over the death of Mr Ikonne, the party’s governorship candidate in the state.