By Abiodun Joseph
WISDOM is one the greatest attributes everyman should possess. WISDOM should have explained a moral lesson to the five Governors and their motley crowd of diehard acolytes that they can never hold the PDP behemoth to ransom for longer than necessary.
At the beginning of their war of attrition, the five Governors, Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Seyi Makinde, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, all had reasons to protest the loss of the PDP Presidential Primary by one of their own and their ringleader, Wike, the energetic and hardworking Governor of Rivers State, aka “Mr Projects.” They were of the opinion that the National Chairman of their party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, played the role of a biased umpire, and they were justifiably miffed and called for a pound of flesh.
The already tense situation became compounded when, according to them, promises and overtures were made to offer the number two position of Vice Presidential candidate to Wike, which again never materialized. This was the last straw that broke their camel’s back.
“Let me vow…today, anybody who emerges here I will support the person to the fullest. Anybody who emerges here today, I will support the person to the fullest because I am a committed party person. Because I love this party. Because since 1998, I have been in this party. i Have worked for this party. This is my party. I am not going anywhere” – Nyesom Wike
They gained many sympathisers considering how much support Wike had offered PDP in its days of tribulations. Trouble was the vengeance they sought was not an easy one. They wanted Ayu fired summarily by the party, but rather than do that, the NEC of the party passed a vote of confidence on the National Working Committee, headed by Iyorchia Ayu. The G5 Governors vowed never to support the ATIKU/OKOWA Presidential team until Ayu leaves as Chairman. All entreaties to them pleading for mercy and forgiveness fell on deaf ears. Perhaps, the situation would not have deteriorated so fast and degenerated totally if Governor Wike had not gone on a daily ritual of buying expensive airtime on television to lambast Ayu, and sometimes the PDP Presidential candidate, former Vice President, H.E Atiku Abubakar (GCON). As this verbal fisticuffs persisted, both camps dug deeper and deeper thus obliterating hopes of reconciliation.
As weeks climbed weeks, the G5 started hosting the opponents of PDP and announcing how they will soon endorse any candidate other than Atiku Abubakar. They made a second tactical mistake by turning it into a North versus South imbroglio. At a point, Governor Ortom could not hide his morbid hatred and disdain for the Fulani when he publicly declared he will never support a Fulani candidate and “they should go to blazes…” Their vituperation became unhinged.
“I made a vow to the Official Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nigeria that I will support whoever emerges from the #PDPPresidentialPrimaries and I am not going to go back on my word. We cannot abandon the PDP, we will be fully supporting Atiku Abubakar” – Nyesom Wike
This was how their cookie crumbled.
Many of their sympathizers started thinking they’ve carried their anger too far. After meeting with them at home and abroad about five times, it seemed the PDP candidate decided to accept the reality of his situation with equanimity and chose to call their bluff. He decided to run a powerful nationwide Presidential campaign and luckily for him, he’s done far reasonably well since then.
“I never ran presidential election to want to be the vice-president”.
The first attempt by Wike and his band to test their popularity and influence on determining who should be voted and not be voted for backfired spectacularly in Ibadan Oyo State, where one of them, Governor Seyi Makinde, was flagging off his second term Gubernatorial campaign. The G5 hastily abandoned its usual verbal assaults against Atiku, Ayu and PDP when they realised that Oyo State party faithful were overwhelmingly in support of Atiku Abubakar and not ready to promote any division.
“Stop shaking your head’ that’s sycophancy. You are one of those causing problems. They gave you chieftaincy but you are a young boy so you don’t even know what to do with it. And then when I’m speaking you are shaking your head like this because you think I will be happy.
“All fake! Fake!!. You just go and wear something that is bigger than you…when someone is looking for power… You’d think he’s an elderly person. Very small young man… this boy. I know when I was in school, he was running around us, going on errands. Now he’s dressing Usman Dan Fodio (founder of Sokoto caliphate). Then he begins to breach protocol. He thinks when he’s shaking his head like this, I’d be happy. That’s fake…that’s fake…” – Nyesom Wike attacks traditional ruler
With the scenario that played out in Ibadan, it is obvious that the G5 has reached a dead end because the ATIKU/OKOWA loyalists are now further emboldened. Majority of PDP supporters have vowed to resist any act inimical to the success of all PDP candidates at all levels in all states of the Federation.
“This should be the last time you open your mouth to talk about this state because you are a total failure, as far as this state is concerned.” Wike attacked former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi
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