SGF Akume meets Ortom amidst defection talks, the G-5 governors are set to collapse PDP structures into the APC in the coming month.
Defection talks are currently underway as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, meets with Governor Samuel Ortom and the G-5 governors in an attempt to merge the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming months, Ejes Gist News reports.
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The talks, as reported by Sunday PUNCH, suggest a potential exodus of the G-5 leaders from the PDP before the 2027 general elections.
The G-5 group consists of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, as well as former governors Nyesom Wike, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Samuel Ortom of Rivers, Abia, Enugu, and Benue states, respectively.
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The discord within the PDP ranks stems from their disagreement over the continued leadership of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as the PDP national chairman, following the selection of Atiku Abubakar as the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections. Additionally, the G-5 leaders expressed their opposition towards Atiku, who eventually lost to APC’s Bola Tinubu, now the President of Nigeria.
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Sources suggest that the G-5 leaders have been in contact with Tinubu, raising concerns among PDP members about their loyalty to the party. Governor Wike, in particular, has made multiple visits to Tinubu at the Presidential Villa since the inauguration on May 29, casting doubt on his continued affiliation with the PDP.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Raymond Magen, a former Principal Special Assistant to Ortom, revealed that in-depth discussions are underway between the APC and the five opposition leaders, indicating the possibility of their defection in the coming months. Magen emphasized that these talks are not superficial but rather substantive conversations between the PDP leaders and the ruling APC. He suggested that the G-5 members may join the APC due to their apparent disinterest in the affairs of their current party.
Diran Odeyemi, a member of the PDP National Executive Committee, commented on the situation, stating that the upcoming appointments by President Tinubu would shed light on the intentions of the G-5 leaders. He noted that if some of them were to join the new government, it would signal their inclination to leave the PDP. Odeyemi expressed concern about the potential emergence of a one-party state if party leaders abandoned their respective parties instead of working towards strengthening them.
While it is premature to definitively predict the actions of the G-5 leaders, their recent statements and interactions suggest a shift in their priorities and a potential alignment with the APC. The coming months will likely shed more light on the direction they choose to take.
