G5 Govs have not adopted any Presidential Candidate — Wike

…Dares PDP to suspend him

Barth Ndubuwah,Port Harcourt

Contrary to rumour making the rounds that the G5 govs led by Barr. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State have adopted Bola Tinubu of APC as their Presidential Candidate, Wike on Friday while flagging off the reconstruction of Eneka-Igbo Etche Road in Port Harcourt dismissed the rumour, insisting that no such event took place at their London meeting.

The Governor said he wonders where such unfounded information was coming from. According to him, the insinuation must have emanated from detractors who do not mean well for the group and by extension the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He clarified that the G5 Govs will make public their choice of Presidential Candidate when the time is ripe, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Wike was before now quoted to have said that when he finally decides on a particular Presidential Candidate, he will not only tell the public, but he will go about campaigning openly for such person.

However, there was strong rumour recently that the G5 Govs had decided to pitch their tent with the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the forthcoming general elections, the rumour Governor Wike had dispelled.

There was also another insinuation that the G5 Govs disagreed on a unanimous choice of one Presidential Candidate. According to the information, while Wike preferred Tinubu of APC, Samuel Ortom of Benue State and others rooted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party. The source said the disagreement heated up the London meeting that Gov Wike had to abandon his political bed fellows and came back to Nigeria to flagoff the Eneka- Igbo Etche Road.

Meanwhile PDP leadership is said to be waiting anxiously for the decision of the G5 governors, before deciding on the appropriate sanctions that will be meted out on the errant party members, which may include suspension or outright expulsion from the party, in line with the party’s constitution.

Gov Wike had recently been quoted to have challenged PDP leadership to suspend him and risk the consequences,which he said could be grave.

Other members of the G5 include Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.