Aggrieved PDP governors may endorse Peter Obi in January

There have been reports that the five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors may declare their support for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party next month.

As reported by The Punch, the decision of the governors, who are in London, might be influenced by the advice of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the next president should come from the South-East in 2023.

The aggrieved PDP governors, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State had vowed not to campaign for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of their party.

The aggrieved governors and their loyalists parted ways with the leadership of the PDP after the refusal of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu to step down as demanded by the governors.

Also, the governors are angry with Atiku for not prevailing on Ayu to resign in a bid to balance the lopsidedness in the leadership of the party, which according to them, is too pro-north.

Though Atiku and the aggrieved governors held many meetings to resolve the crisis, Ayu’s failure to step down undermined the reconciliation efforts.

The governors earlier disclosed that they would reveal their preferred presidential candidate in January.

Meanwhile, according to The Punch, a source from the governors camp revealed that the governors might heed Obasanjo’s advice that they should endorse the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Obasanjo met with the governors in London in August, where he lobbied for Obi.

The source said: “The governors are considering Obasanjo’s advice that the Presidency should come to the South in 2023. Obasanjo has advised them to support Obi because he believes that if the Presidency comes to the South, it should go to the South East.

“That is why at their last meeting in London, he lobbied for Obi because justice and fairness demand that South-East should produce the next president.’’

The source also said that the governors would most likely unveil their presidential candidate on Thursday, January 5, 2022.

“From all indications, the governors will announce their preferred candidate next week. If there is no major event before January 5 when Makinde will kick off his campaign, they will make the announcement on that day in Ibadan.’’