2023: Wike, Ikpeazu, others storm Oyo to campaign for Makinde 24 hours after snubbing Atiku’s presidential rally

The aggrieved governors of the People Democratic Party (PDP), also known as G5, on Thursday, January 5, arrived at the ancient Mapo hall in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, to flag off the re-election campaign of one of their members, Seyi Makinde.

Other members of the G5 including Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, and Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, were present at the campaign rally.

The G5 arrived at the venue of the campaign flag-off at exactly 1 pm.

The major roads leading to Mapo hall were blocked with party loyalists from all the 33 local government areas of the state, however, the security operatives were present to control the crowd.

Meanwhile, some PDP chieftains, including a former minister of Federal Capital Territory (state), Jumoke Akinjide, and a former minister of mines and steel development, Wole Oyelese, on Wednesday, January 4, campaigned for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Ibadan, The Punch reports.

The party stalwarts, youths, women and mobilizers from across the state were seen on major streets in the Ibadan metropolis marching with banners and campaigning for Atiku ahead of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.

However, the state governor, Seyi Makinde, and the G5 governors, and their loyalists, were conspicuously absent at the rally held to garner support for the former vice-president.

Makinde and his loyalists were also absent at the pre-Atiku freedom march press conference held at the state Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Tuesday, January 3.

Akinjide, while speaking on Wednesday, said that Atiku was a pan-Nigerian and one who would lead Nigeria out of her current socio-economic and political challenges.

The former minister stated that, “We will campaign for Atiku in Oyo state on the basis of merit and on the basis of fidelity to our great party.

“There’s really no division in PDP. It is a fight for space. So, I don’t think the public should worry themselves because the day they settle their differences, they’d be on television smiling and calling each other brother.

“Let us face what is of great concern to 200 million Nigerians which is the five points agenda to recover and restore Nigeria that Atiku is proposing.

“Our presidential candidate is promising to unite Nigeria, secure the country, build a prosperous economy, restructure and devolve power to the federating units. This is who we need to save our country,” he added.

Recall that since the emergence of former vice-president, Abubakar Atiku, as PDP presidential candidate, there have been intensified moves by some aggrieved governors of the party, known as G5, for Ayu’s replacement by a candidate from the south.

They argued that the party’s flag bearer for the 2023 presidential poll, and the national chairman, cannot come from the same geo-political zone.

The aggrieved governors also stated that they want Ayu to be replaced by a candidate from the south for the purpose of equity and political balance.