On February 25, 2023, eligible Nigerian voters will file out to elect a new president who will pilot the affairs of the country for another four years after the eight-year reign of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Many Nigerians cannot wait for the elections to come, they are eager to pass judgment using their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) on candidates and political parties that have underperformed.

While the main opposition party, the PDP appears to be in a better position to wrestle power from the APC, the crisis within the party especially with the Integrity Group of five governors known as G-5 has made a herculean task for the party in its determination to win back power from the APC.

Members of the G-5 are: Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

The PDP kicked the relative peace it was enjoying in its fold goodbye when former the Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the party and the Delta state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, was named as his running mate in June 2022.

Subsequently, the party put together a campaign council which included the members of the G-5. But the Wike-led G-5 team drew the battlelone when it pulled out of the campaign council.

The G-5 had insisted that since the PDP had violated its own constitution by jettisoning the zoning arrangement, the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, must resign for them to rescind their decision.

They also maintained that the position of the National Chairman of the party must come to the South for balance, justice, and equity in the party, hence they will not play any role in the Atiku campaign council.

In fairness to the leadership of the party, several efforts were made to reconcile with the group, but all to no avail. After it was clear that the party leadership was not ready to yield to the demands of the G-5 by sacrificing Ayu as the condition for reconciliation, the PDP presidential candidate moved on with his campaign.

“If Dr. Ayu is to be removed from office, it must be done in accordance with the laws that set out the basis for such removal. In any event, you will all recall that the very body that is empowered by law to initiate this removal from office has already passed a vote of confidence on him,” Atiku had explained while responding to the calls for Ayu’s resignation.

Nevertheless, since the commencement of the presidential campaigns on 28th September 2022, the PDP presidential candidate has visited many states for campaigns and stakeholders meeting, but the G-5 have been missing in action. Their refusal to partake in the campaign activities of the party didn’t come has a shock because they already made their stand know by insisting on Ayu’s resignation.

In one of the press conferences addressed by Wike in the heat of the crisis, he boasted that if he leaves the party, the party would lose general election.

Wike said: “If I leave the party today, the PDP cannot win the (general) election. If the five PDP governors say they are leaving today…We are not just ordinary governors, we are very committed and strong. There is nobody that wants to win an election and still continues the way they (PDP leadership) are doing.”

Moreso, the G-5 held meetings with the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi in London with the hope of striking an accord, but that was not to be. The members of the G-5 were unable to reach a compromise on the presidential candidate to support. While some favoured Obi, others favoured Tinubu.

Interestingly, while Ortom adopted Obi and his joint ticket holder, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, for the presidential poll, Wike boasted last December that the G-5 would announce the presidential candidate that they are supporting in January.

Up till this moment no announcement has been made in this regard. Although, there were unconfirmed reports that Wike’s loyalists may have pledged their support for APC presidential candidate.

No doubt, it’s already obvious that the G-5 group has run out of steam. They no longer meet as usual, neither are they globetrotting for meetings like it was witnessed last year. In truth, both the PDP and Atiku would be making a mistake of the century if they think the support of the five governors amount to nothing.

With the increased popularity and acceptability of Obi in the South-East and South-South zones and even the country as a whole, the main opposition party will need every support it can get to win back power from the APC.

While the popularity of Obi is a delight to the ruling party because the former Anambra state governor is eating deep into the potential votes that are supposed to go to PDP in their traditional stronghold. An indication that the support of the G-5 is vital.

On the other hand, the G-5 cannot go for a broke and adopt either Obi or Tinubu to avoid disruption of elections in their states. Though Wike is not on the ballot, but if he adopts Obi or Tinubu, his support for either candidate might have an effect on the governroship election in the state and might scuttle his chances of installing his preferred candidate as Rivers Governor.

The scenario is not so different in Abia, Benue, Enugu and Oyo if the governors were to back Obi, or Tinubu because it may have a ripple effect on their own interest. In Oyo state, Makinde is seeking re-election as governor, while the trio of Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and Ortom are contesting for senatorial seats in the National Assembly.

In essence, if they support a presidential candidate of another party different from the PDP, then the chances of winning their own election will be put on the line.

With this on ground, there is no need arguing the fact that both the G-5 and the PDP are in a fix.

Meanwhile, in what appears like a preemptive move last Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja barred the PDP from suspending or expelling Wike from the party. The judge, James Omotosho, gave the order following an ex parte application filed by Wike against the PDP.

Wike filed his application on February 2, where he asked the court to order the respondents – the PDP; its National Working Committee; National Executive Committee; National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, and the PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu – to maintain the status quo and stay all actions relating to the threat to suspend or expel him from the party pending the determination of the matter.

The question to ask is why did Wike take this unilateral court action without carrying along his other four colleagues in the G-5 group? Is Rivers Governor now saying every member of the Integrity Group should carry his cross? In essence, if the party decides to sanction the other governors so be it as Wike has gotten the nod of the court stopping the main opposition party from suspending or expelling him.

In spite of Wike’s move, the leadership of the party has not foreclosed the window of reconciling with the G-5 Governors. At the presidential rally of the party in Benue state recently, Ayu said the issue with Ikpeazu has been resolved adding that plans are on to reconcile with other aggrieved members of tge group.

His words: “Vote for every PDP candidate, the party is not divided. There are a few members who have grievances. We are talking to them. We want to make sure they come back and work with us fully. One week is enough to change everything. This thing has been going on and I want to assure you that we’ll receive everybody back.

“I am appealing to my younger brother, Governor Ortom to come back and join us so that we will fight to rescue Nigeria. Governor Ortom has nowhere to go, his only house is the PDP and anytime that he comes, we shall be more than happy to receive him and all the PDP governors.

“Two days ago, Governor Ikpeazu was in my house because he lost his gubernatorial candidate. We have resolved the problem with Governor Ikpeazu and the whole of Abia is coming back. We want all our candidates, all our governors to be with us because if you allow APC to win this election, you will regret it.”

While the G-5 are no longer unanimous on the presidential candidate to support, coupled with the indication that each of them is now fighting his battle alone, a reconciliation will do the PDP a lot of good if the party wants to stand any chance of winning back power at the centre. (THISDAY)

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