By Favour Oyinade
The five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some aggrieved party stalwarts including some else while governors have announced the formation of a new faction, called the Integrity Group.
The G5 Governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers have called for the resignation of the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, shortly after the party presidential ticket was won by a northerner, Atiku Abubakar.
Other governors are Samuel Ortom of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
The governors and other aggrieved party leaders, who had a strategic meeting in Lagos, on Sunday, reiterated their position that the window for reconciliation still remained open ahead of the 2023 general election.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, former Plateau State Governor, Mr Jonah Jang, said: “We have reviewed the issues in our party and we, therefore, stand on the position we took at our last meeting in PortHarcourt and we hereby reiterate our position that the window for reconcilation in our great party, the PDP, remains open.”
Before the meeting, Governor Makinde had announced the formation of the Integrity Group saying it was the face behind the struggle within the PDP.
“We are here this morning to hold a meeting of the Integrity Group within our party, the PDP. We have been of the G5- that is, the five PDP governors. The G5 is all about the Integrity Group.
“You can see us, five serving governors, as the face of this struggle both the leaders and elders of the party that you see here are the people behind those faces.
“We are 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,” he said.
Other party leaders at the meeting were former governors, Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo State), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Donald Duke (Cross River), Jonah Jang (Plateau), former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, 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 and Senator Mao Ohabunwa.
Meanwhile, the former spokesman of the PDP Kola Ologbondiyan said the Atiku is open to reconcilation with the aggrieved members.
Speaking on a television programme on Sunday, he said, “When I read in the social media at the end of the meeting of the governors that they have opened the window of reconciliation, what came to my mind was that a few days ago when the candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, met with the Guild of Editors in Lagos, he was very emphatic about his readiness for reconciliation.
“Atiku was still very emphatic about the fact that the disposition of the governors and the members of this group tallies with his own position which is that, let us reconcile and pull together, not just in our own interest but the collective interest of ordinary Nigerians who have been going through pains, anguish, and sufferings under the leadership of the All Progressives Congress.”
