The Peoples Democratic Party‘s G5—five governors who have referred to themselves as such—met on Saturday in Lagos as the party’s internal strife continues ahead of the 2023 elections.
The G5 Governors—Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi—reiterated that they are open to reconciliation talks and that their organisation would now be known as the “Integrity Group” (Enugu).
They got together in Lagos and made the Integrity Group announcement in Bode George’s home, the former Deputy National Chairman of the party.
Former governors Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Donald Duke of Cross River State, and Jonah Jang of the Plateau were among the PDP chieftains present during the meeting. Others were Senator Nasif Suleiman, Chief Dan Orbih, Senator Olaka Nwogu, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, and Deputy PDP Chairman Taofeek Arapaja.
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Ex-governor Jang briefed journalists after the meeting. In order to resolve the issue roiling the main opposition party, he stated the group is still available for consultations.
“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.
Governor Makinde also spoke, stating that the G5 governors were the public face of their battle and had the support of the elders and leaders of the party present.
“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.”
At the conclusion of their discussions, the governor of Oyo also promised to inform Nigerians of the latest developments.
This comes two months after the group’s meeting in Port Harcourt, where it swore not to support Atiku Abubakar, the party’s nominee for president in the 2023 election.
Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s national chairman, has been asked for to be removed by the G5 due to the party’s structure’s regional balance.
Ayu, though, has claimed that he won’t leave until the conclusion of his four-year term, despite the G5 requiring his resignation in order to back Atiku’s bid for the presidency in 2023.
