•We will rescue Bauchi governor, says Wike
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed yesterday cried out that he had fears for his re-election bid.
He lamented that certain forces in the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) were bent on frustrating his second term ambition.
However, the five aggrieved PDP governors, who vowed to intensify their crusade for equity and justice in the party, also promised to support the Bauchi governor to actualise his aspiration.
Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers) described the G5: Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Samuel Ortom (Benue), as part of the PDP pillars critical to its future electoral victory.
The Rivers governor emphasised that the opposition required the full compliment of its pillars to return to power in 2023.
Yesterday, the five governors stormed Bauchi, capital of Bauchi State, to woo their colleague, Governor Bala Mohammed, to the anti-Atiku forces.
They promised to rally round the Bauchi governor to actualize his re-election bid, which, he complained, had been threatened by forces allegedly instigated by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The G5 is up in arms against Atiku and the PDP national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who has refused to step down, following the presidential primary, contrary to his earlier promise.
In his letter to Ayu, Mohammed, who is the vice chairman of the Atiku Campaign Council in the Northeast, had complained that the former vice president had sidelined him by refusing to visit him after the primary, although he visited other aspirants.
He also alleged that Atiku had picked campaign coordinators from Bauchi without consultation with him.
The G5 is capitalizing on Mohammed’s rift with Atiku to recruit him into its camp.
Four of the five governors arrived the Government House, Bauchi, around 12.30pm for discussion with their host.
Only Makinde was absent.
Speaking before a closed-door meeting with the G5, Mohammed said he knew he can confide in his visitors.
However, the governor did not state whether he has joined the Wike camp or not
“I share a lot in common with the G5 governors. I’m supposed to be with the G5, but they excommunicated me,” he jokingly said.
Mohammed added: “They know I’ve challenges in Bauchi; the challenges of the party, challenges of treachery and mischief. When you know you have people like them, you feel secure.
“I’m happy they are here. I have the opportunity of confiding in these people some of my worries, my fears, and my apprehension.
“You are aware that it’s no longer a secret that I wrote a letter to the national party about what I’ve found out that’s working against me and I wrote it with all honesty and sincerity and that’s why the party invited me to discuss with Atiku, our leader.”
Wike told reporters after the meeting that they were in the state on a solidarity visit to Mohammed.
On the absence of the Oyo governor, Wike said Makinde was out of the country.
He added: “Our motive for coming here is to give solidarity to Mohammed. You know he is seeking a second term. So, we are here to give him support.
“I’ve stated that we have not closed the door for reconciliation. All we want are equity fairness and justice. All we are saying is that the right thing should be done. You know this G5 you are seeing is the bedrock of the party.”
In a statement, Wike boasted that the G5 governors fighting for equity and justice are the pillars of the party.
The governor said because of their importance to the PDP, they remained open to genuine reconciliation.
Wike maintained that all critical stakeholders in the party needed to be on board to ensure electoral victory.
He also said in the statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, that reconciliation was not foreclosed.
Wike said: “I have stated severally that we are here for reconciliation. We have never closed the door for reconciliation. We have never closed the door and we will not close the door.
“All we are saying is that there should be equity, justice and fairness. That is the hallmark of what PDP stands for; equity, justice and fairness.
“All we are saying is that let the right thing be done. When the right thing is done, the whole country will know that election is over.
“This G-5 that you are seeing, we are the bedrock of the party. So, we can’t close the door for reconciliation. We are open for reconciliation anyday, anytime.”