Atiku camp moves to pacify G-5 govs

Despite his claim that he had moved on after failing to resolve his differences with five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the opposition party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has reportedly informed members of his kitchen cabinet to explore further avenues to resolve the lingering crisis.

Atiku, had in a radio programme last week, claimed that he was moving on without the five aggrieved PDP governors.

However, the tide moved against his presidential bid during the week, when the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, accused Atiku of undermining his re-election bid next year.

Bala had demanded an apology from Atiku. As at the time of filing in this report, neither Atiku nor his media aides had offered any apology to the governor.

While the controversy over Bala’s accusation was still raging, the five aggrieved governors, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; and Samuel Ortom of Benue State, met the Bauchi governor in the state capital.

Though still unconfirmed, there are claims that Bala who is fighting the political battle of his life, may join forces with the G-5 governors to undermine Atiku’s presidential bid.

Saturday Sun gathered that following the raging storm rocking Atiku’s campaign organisation, the former vice president has urged members of his kitchen cabinet to reach out to prominent PDP leaders, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, to intervene.

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A competent source told Saturday Sun that Jonathan’s intervention may prove counterproductive, as Atiku’s key men who are expected to lead the delegation to Jonathan, all worked against Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.

The source said former President Olusegun Obasanjo is unwilling to support Atiku, like he did in 2019, claiming that the former President may have covertly given his support to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

The source further revealed that Southern PDP leaders and other critical stakeholders expected to prevail on the five governors, are opposed to the emergence of Atiku.

He said the leaders, prior to the primaries that produced Atiku, had insisted that the next president of Nigeria must emerge from the South, after eight years of Buhari’s regime.

He said: “Atiku’s campaign is struggling, even if he might not want to admit it. The support he expected from the people is not coming. He has realised that he needs the governors to win this election.

“He had the chance and missed the opportunity. Now, the five aggrieved governors are recruiting more people to join them. If Atiku doesn’t move fast, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State will join the G-5 governors.

“As I speak, there is no prominent PDP leader from the South who is with Atiku. Those people parading themselves as Southern PDP leaders can’t win elections in their villages.

“The problem now is that, the people who can prevail on Wike and other governors, are those Atiku offended in the past. He has offended Jonathan and even worked against him in 2015.

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“He undermined Obasanjo in 2003. He worked against Odili in 2007. Edwin Clark doesn’t want to even see Atiku for working against Jonathan in 2015. Same thing with Bode George.

“Leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo who worked for him in 2019, can’t openly support him. These people I’ve mentioned are those who can prevail on these aggrieved governors to work with Atiku.

“Atiku may have the support of the North, but he won’t get a landslide victory there. Kwakwanso will drag the votes with him in the North. In the North East where he’s from, the vice presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima will get votes for his party.

“While Tinubu can boast of 80 per cent of votes from the South West, Atiku can’t do same in the North. With Obi, he has lost the South East. With Wike, he may not win up to 30 per cent in the South South.”

Revealing why Atiku appears to be handicapped, the PDP member said the former vice president is careful not to upset his Northern Muslim support base, who according to the source, doesn’t want him associated with Wike.

He said if Atiku concedes some grounds and positions to the G-5 governors, they’ll support his presidential bid in 2023.

He said while the presidential candidate of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is willing to concede some cabinet positions to the G-5 governors, Atiku on the other hand is unwilling to commit himself.

Issuing a stern warning, the PDP leader said: “If Atiku’s kitchen cabinet members mean well for him, they need to tell him the truth now. The G-5 governors must be brought on board before the end of November or PDP can just bid Aso Rock goodbye.”

The former Vice President told reporters in Minna on Friday that all issues with the aggrieved governors and others would be resolved before next year’s election.