According to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, the G5 Governors’ activities during the 2023 presidential election were crucial in keeping Nigeria stable and averting post-election chaos.
Wike said the statement on Monday during a meeting in Abuja with members of the “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP” from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The former governor of Rivers State stated that the G5 Governors’ decision to back the North-South zoning system was founded on a philosophical stance to support the PDP’s Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, their party’s presidential nominee.
Wike was part of the G5 together with Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
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Wike said, “You may like us or you may hate us, but the fact is that this country would have been in trouble if the G5 had not made its decision.”
“The right thing had to be done, regardless of who the beneficiary was, and we still stand by that decision.”
Constitution Ignored by PDP, Says Wike
According to Wike, a fervent opponent of the PDP leadership, the party’s electoral failure stemmed from its disregard for its own zoning laws.
“The importance of respecting both the national and party constitutions has been emphasized,” he stated. “We wouldn’t be where we are now if the party had listened to what we said.”
He said that some party officials were acting without consequence and that the opposition party’s existence was in danger due to vanity and avarice.
“We must continue to bring people together, pacify them, and refrain from saying that they should go to hell,” Wike said. “We must prevent ego and greed from ruining our gathering.”
Wike expressed hope that the PDP may yet bounce back if party members band together and tackle the underlying issues that are causing division, even in the face of internal strife and the consequences of the 2023 elections.
Other notable members of the PDP, such as former governors Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Samuel Ortom, attended the meeting. PDP National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former Senate Minority Leader Senator Philip Aduda were also in attendance.
