Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his incoming successor, Siminialaye Fubara, have ignored a reception organised for new and returning governors of their party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The party is organising the event which it said is to deepen governance and what chief executive officers of state are expected to undertake to justify their leadership.
The party through its Governors’ Forum had announced that the reception for its new and returning members as well as outgoing governors would also witness a send-off of past chairmen of the forum including Segun Mimiko of Ondo, Ayo Foyese of Ekiti State, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State and Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.
A statement by the Forum’s Director General said the event under the leadership of Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, would feature a discussion on ‘Good governance at the sub-national level: Issues, Perspective, Expectations and Outcomes’.
The invitation was extended to the 7 governors-elect of the party including Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Agbu Kefas of Taraba State.
Others include Fubara, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara and Caleb Mutfuwang of Plateau State.
Also invited to the event are reelected governors like Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State.
According to the programme of event, outgoing governors on the platform of the party would also be honoured.
But as at the time of filing this report, Wike was not in attendance just as his protege, Fubara.
Also conspicuously absent was Fayose.
No official reason has been given as to their absence.
However, their shunning of the event may not be unconnected to Wike’s disposition to leave the PDP as a result of the fallout in the party since the conduct of the party’s presidential primary.
Wike had contested and lost the party’s ticket to Atiku Abubakar and wanted to be selected as the presidential running of the party.
Atiku overlooked him for Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
This resulted in the formation of the G-5 governors under the wing of Wike. The group demanded for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, citing equity and justice, that both the PDP presidential candidate and national chairman cannot be from the North.
The group also abstained from the party’s presidential campaign and supported different candidates during the February 25 election.
Wike, who is the arrowhead of the group admitted to the fact that he supported Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, boasting that he’s “proud of supporting the APC candidate to win the election.”
He recently invited Tinubu to a two-day event in the state where the President-elect commissioned some landmark projects.
Some APC leaders in the state have expressed their optimism about the Rivers State Governor joining the party from the PDP, saying, “He’s welcome and would be a big catch for us if he can join us.”
TrackNews gathered that the governor alongside Fubara may dump the PDP as soon as he hands over to his successor on May 29.
Recently, he was named among some people pencilled down by the incoming APC administration to be appointed Minister of Interior.
Both Wike and the Tinubu camp have not officially denied the report.
Meanwhile, the event has seen the arrival of former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, acting PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara among top echelon of the party.
Also not seen yet are Makinde and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom who are also members of the G-5 movement.
