WITH just 52 days to the conduct of February 25 presidential poll, the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo, on Wednesday, in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, declared that with or without the G5, consisting of five governors on the platform of the party, its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar is winning the poll.
The G5, led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State with his counterpart in Oyo (Seyi Makinde), Benue (Samuel Ortom and two others have vowed not to support or campaign for Abubakar until the national chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyiorcha Ayu is removed from office.
However, while addressing journalists at the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State council, Iyaganku, Ibadan, the PDP leaders in the state, namely the former Minister of the Federal Capital Terri- tory (FCT), Chief Jumoke Ak- injide, erstwhile Minister for Special Duties, Elder Wole Oyelese, former deputy governor of Oyo State, Al- haji Hazeem Gbolarumi and others said the G5 is media’s creation.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of today’s freedom walk for Atiku in Ibadan, Akinjide stated: “The media has blown the issue of G5 out of proportion. G5 is a non issue. We are talking about the fate of more than 200 million Nige- rians, whose fate is at stake.
According to her, “I can speak for Governor Seyi Makinde. He has no problem with the presidential can- didate of our party. We are going to resolve the G5 mat- ter soon. There is silence of the grave yard in the All Progressives Congress (APC) because they have their is- sues there.
The presidential candi- date of our party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remain the God’s arrow in a pouch to halt the steady destruction of the country by the APC-led Federal Government. I think we are wasting time on this issue of G5. The press is more interested in the quarrel between people and not interested in the plight of 200 million Nigerians, who are suffering and have been made destitutes.
“We are talking about the plights of Nigerians, who have been become home- less, who have no access to education. By the time these people would resolve this problem, you and I may not be there when they (G5 and PDP) will be back slap- ping. We should concen- trate on the fact that Nigerians have been pauperised. We have a country with a population of 1.4 billion in Asia, but, Nigeria with about 200 population has become the poverty headquarters of the world.
Over 50 percent of Nige- rians are desperately poor. Are we going to continue like this. There’s silence of the grave in the APC. We (PDP) are having problem because we are the government that is coming to power, so everybody wants to have a seat at that table. Thatiswhyitissohotinthe PDP.
“But, point of correction, I can speak for my governor, Governor Seyi Makinde. When Atiku Abubakar was here about two months ago, he (Makinde) said he had no issue with our presidential candidate and his run- ning mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. He said he has issue with the national chairman, Senator Iyiorcha Ayu.”
Akinjide, however, assured that Abubakar has the experience, pedigree and technical know-how to halt the al- leged steady destruction of Nigeria by the APC and redirect the ship of the nation, which she said, is heading for the rocks by exploring his rich public leadership expertise to salvage the economy of the nation.
In his remark, former Minister for Special Duties, Elder Wole Oyelese hinted the door to negotiation on the grievances of the G5 gover- nors is not closed, stressing that “Wike, Makinde, others are free to come on board.
But, Gbolarumi, who was a former deputy governor to late Governor Alao Akala, affirmed that “with or without the G5 governors, our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is winning next month presidential election in Nigeria.”
Also speaking, former chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engineer Jide Adeniji, contended that the G5 governors can- not turn against the PDP or the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He averred: G5 governors became or were elected using as governors of their states through the platform of the party. They are agents of the PDP and are not ‘Gov- ernors Democratic Party.’ I can tell you that they are loyal party members and would not turn against the PDP.”
