Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reportedly directed members of his campaign to meet with the party’s five disgruntled governors, known as the G-5.
The disgruntled Governors had promised not to back Atiku in 2023 if the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, refused to resign.
Atiku, who is unwilling to move forward without the disgruntled governors in his train ahead of the 2023 presidential election, is said to be making efforts to reconcile with them.
According to a source close to the former Vice President, members of his kitchen cabinet have been directed to contact the Governors.
According to the source, Atiku also approached former President Goodluck Jonathan for help.
According to the source, Jonathan’s intervention could be counterproductive because Atiku’s men, who are expected to meet with Jonathan, all worked against Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, according to the source, is unwilling to support Atiku as he did in 2019.
According to the source, Obasanjo may have backed the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
According to the source, Southern PDP leaders and some stakeholders who are expected to prevail on the five governors are opposed to Atiku’s election.
He revealed that prior to the PDP presidential primaries, *which* Atiku won, the party’s leaders insisted that the South would produce Nigeria’s next president.
“Atiku’s campaign is struggling, even if he may not want to admit it,” said the source. The public support he expected has not arrived. He has realized that he cannot win this election without the governors’ support.
“He had the opportunity but blew it.” The five disgruntled governors are now seeking more supporters. If Atiku fails to act quickly, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed will join the G-5 governors.
“As of now, no prominent PDP leader from the South is supporting Atiku.” Those posing as Southern PDP leaders are incapable of winning elections in their villages.
“The issue now is that the only people who can persuade Wike and other governors are those who have previously offended Atiku.” In 2015, he offended Jonathan and worked against him.
“In 2003, he attacked Obasanjo. In 2007, he collaborated with Odili. Edwin Clark refuses to meet with Atiku because he worked against Jonathan in 2015. The same is true for Bode George.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo leaders who worked for him in 2019 are unable to openly support him. These are the people who can persuade the disgruntled governors to work with Atiku.”
According to the source, Atiku may have the support of the North, but he will not win by a landslide because the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwakwanso, will drag the votes with him in the north.
He stated that Atiku’s vote in the North East will be influenced by the presence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima.
According to the source, APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu can boast of 80% of votes in the South West, but Atiku cannot do the same in the North.
He claimed that with Obi in the race, Atiku has lost the South East and cannot claim 30% of the South-South vote due to issues with Wike.
According to the source, Atiku is wary of alienating his Northern Muslim base, which does not want him to associate with Wike.
According to the PDP member, Atiku will gain the G-5 governors’ support if he concedes some grounds and positions.
According to the source, while Tinubu is willing to give some cabinet positions to the G-5 governors, Atiku is hesitant to commit.
“If Atiku’s kitchen cabinet members genuinely care about him, they must tell him the truth now,” the source warned. The G-5 governors must be brought on board by the end of November, or the PDP can simply say goodbye to Aso Rock.”
