Wike dares PDP to expel him and the other members of the G5 for refusing to back Atiku

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has dared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  to take disciplinary action against him and his fellow G5 group of governors for refusing to back the party's presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

In late June, the PDP elected  former vice president Alhaji Abubakar as its flagbearer for next year's presidential election at its Abuja convention. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was a candidate in that election but he was beaten into second place and to make matters worse for him, he was not then picked as the party's running mate.

With Alhaji Abubakar opting to pick Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate, Governor Wike and his supporters, made up primarily of four other governors, have  been on the war path. Governors Wike, Seyi Makinde  (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) now make up what is now known as the G5 Group of Governors and have boycotted Atiku's campaign.

One of the key demands of the G5 has been that PDP chairman Senator Iyorchia Ayu stands down, as he, like Alhaji Abubakar is from northern Nigeria and for the sake of unity, it was argued that a southerner should replace him. Earlier this week, the G5 met with Asiwaju Tinubu in London and the two sides reached an agreement that would involve them supporting his presidential bid in exchange with the APC backing their individual elections.

Under the terms of the deal, Asiwaju Tinubu would be insulated from making any financial commitment to the G-5 candidates. In exchange for their support, the APC will not  stand candidates against the governors who are standing on PDP platforms.

Yesterday, the G5 governors returned to Nigeria from their London meeting and Governor Wike, dared the PDP to expel him if it could. He also denied that he and other members of the G5, known as the Integrity Group, had struck a deal with Asiwaju Tinubu.

Although Governor Wike did not disclose the details of their London meeting, he said he wondered why Atiku’s supporters kept discussing every move of the G-5 which it repeatedly dismissed as insignificant and irrelevant to the victory of the PDP presidential candidate. He told  the Atiku camp that what was unfolding currently was a  prelude to the trouble that it would face in due course.

Governor Wike said: : “I travelled overseas on the 25th night having worked hard. I didn’t know it was  still important that just going to unwind was a problem to some people. Some people said they had moved on, they don’t bother about G-5. Why do they bother about where we go to and where we  didn’t go?

“We go to a club, you are worried, we go and swim you are worried, yet you tell Nigerians you don’t bother. They said I had a conversation with BBC, where is the picture and where is the video?

"They said we had meetings with a candidate. What is your problem assuming there was a meeting? Has Atiku not been holding meetings with APC governors? Ask him as he is in Dubai, don’t we know what is going on."