The aggrieved five governors of the Peoples Democratic Party have met in Lagos on Sunday.
At the meeting are Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Victor Ikpeazu of Abia State.
The governors, who have come the name G-5, are opposed to retaining power in the Northern part of the country have also called for the National Chairman of the party Iyorchia Ayu to be sacked.
The meeting was ongoing at the time of filing this report. An aide to one of the governors confirmed that his boss is at the meeting with George.
“Yes, they are meeting. They were all coming from PortHarcourt and the meeting is currently holding,”
Asked what the agenda of the meeting is, the aide said he could only get the details when the meeting is concluded.
The G5 Governors led by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, declared that their ‘Integrity Group’ still stands on the position earlier taken in Port- Harcourt on the removal of Ayu.
The group, which had been at logger head with the leadership of the main opposition party and its Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, however, reiterated that the window for reconciliation in the party remained open.
Addressing newsmen after the closed-door meeting, former Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau, said the group arrived at the decision after a careful review of developments in the party.
“After a careful review of developments in our party, we have decided to stand on the decisions we took in our Port- Harcourt meeting.
“And we hereby reiterate that the window for reconciliation in our great party, PDP, remains open,” Jang said in his brief comment.
Other PDP leaders at the meeting are former governors, Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo State), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Donald Duke (Cross River), Jonah Jang (Plateau).
Also present are, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Bello Adoke; Deputy National Chairman South of the PDP, Mr Taofeek Arapaja; Sen. Nasif Suleiman, Nnena Ukeje, Sen. Sandy Onor, Sen. Mao Ohabunwa, Chief Dan Orbih among others.
Recall that the aggrieved PDP leaders had maintained that Ayu must resign for the sake of fairness and justice so as to bring peace to the party.
The aggrieved group said there was need for the South to produce the PDP national chairman because the party’s presidential flag-bearer for the 2023 election is from the North.
“We at this meeting have decided to stand on the decisions we took at our last Port Harcourt meeting. We hereby again reiterate that the window for reconciliation in our great party, the PDP remains open,” Jang said.
Also speaking, Governor Makinde said that the G5 governors were the face of their struggle and were being backed by the leaders and elders of the party present at the meeting.
“The G5 is all about the Integrity Group. You can see us, five serving governors, as the face of this struggle but the leaders and elders of the party that you see here are the people behind those faces,” Makinde said.
“We are this morning in the South West to review the situation within our party, to review where we are and to also look at what is going to happen in the coming elections.”
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