With less than a month remaining until the presidential election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is struggling to persuade five of its elected governors to support its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, and Samuel Ortom of Benue State had withdrawn from the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in September 2022. Their demands included the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to allow for a southern successor. Although these governors are reportedly backing rival candidates, their recent criticisms of the Ayu-led National Working Committee seem to be diminishing.
The lack of consensus among the governors regarding which candidate to support has contributed to a decline in their campaign activities. In Benue State, however, supporters of Atiku Abubakar are actively reaching out to party members to rally support for him. Former Governor Gabriel Suswam has been organizing a series of stakeholder meetings in the Benue North-East Senatorial District, encouraging eligible voters to back Atiku despite Governor Ortom’s opposition. An anonymous associate of Ortom revealed that Suswam and playwright Professor Iyorwuese Hagher have been working diligently for Atiku since Ortom made it clear that he would not support the PDP presidential candidate unless Ayu stepped down.
Suswam recently addressed stakeholders from Zone A, while Iyorwuese has been engaging with his community in a manner that avoids offending Ortom. Although they maintain a friendship with the governor, they are cautious not to overstep their bounds, resulting in a lack of statewide coordination. While Ortom has not openly endorsed any candidate, he has encouraged his supporters to back Peter Obi of the Labour Party. He has even established an Obi team composed of his trusted aides and allies, with former governorship aspirant Prof. Dennis Tyavyar serving as the group’s chairman.
In Rivers State, former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus is spearheading support for Atiku, alongside former Governor Celestine Omehia, ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Austin Opara, and former federal lawmaker Lee Maeba. Secondus is positioning himself as a loyal party member, countering Wike’s anti-Atiku stance. Meanwhile, Governors Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are supporting Obi, utilizing their supporters to avoid repercussions from the PDP for anti-party activities.
Mustapha Shehu, the Director General of the ‘House to House Campaign for Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa’ in Borno State, stated that this initiative would be expanded to the five states. He emphasized that the House to House campaign would not only challenge the G-5 governors’ influence in their states but also pose a significant threat to incumbent non-PDP governors. Shehu noted that the Borno campaign has effectively countered Wike-sponsored PDP figures, including some in the state Executive, and has positioned Atiku as a formidable candidate in the state, despite the presence of the APC governor and the APC presidential running mate, Kashim Shettima. Wike had previously promised to disclose the preferred presidential candidate of the aggrieved governors in January, a commitment he has yet to fulfill.
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