• We’re here for equity, fairness, justice –Makinde
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, met with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Group of Five (G-5) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, who led the group said the visit was to get Tinubu to join them on the route for fairness, justice and equity in Nigeria.
Asked why the frequent visits to the Presidential Villa, he said: “Nation-building is a very difficult task. You have to keep evaluating to show you know what you’re doing, where you’re going. So, we have to keep seeing the president to let him know what is happening. We also came to let the president know what we stood for. Fairness, justice and equity.”
On where the G-5 is going, Makinde said: “We are going towards Mr. President, you know, coming with us on the route for fairness, for justice and for equity in Nigeria.”
Makinde was surrounded by former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, immediate past governors of Benue, Enugu and Abia states, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, respectively.
In the run-up to the election, the PDP stakeholders who formed Integrity Group had demanded that the presidential ticket be zoned to the south in line with the rotation system in the party’s constitution.
Following Atiku’s primary election victory, the G5 called for Iyorchia Ayu’s resignation as the party’s national chairman.
The group based its argument on the premise that the presidential candidate and chairman cannot be from the same region. But Ayu stayed put, and as a result, the G5 members abstained from the PDP presidential campaign.
Wike and his allies had their way in March when Ayu was suspended by his ward over alleged anti-party activities. A federal high court subsequently barred him from acting as the party’s chairperson.