The governors apparently decided to support a southern candidate after Atiku failed to persuade Ayu to resign.
According to The Punch, the decision of the governors who are currently in London might be influenced by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s advice that the next president should come from the South-East in 2023.
The aggrieved PDP governors, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu states had vowed not to campaign for Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of their party.
The governors and their loyalists parted ways with the PDP leadership following the refusal of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu to resign as demanded by the governors.
The governors are also angry with Atiku for not prevailing on Ayu to resign to balance the lopsidedness in the leadership of the party, which they argued is too pro-north.
Though Atiku and the aggrieved governors had several meetings to resolve the crisis, Ayu’s failure to step down truncated the reconciliation efforts.
[ruby_related heading=”More Read” total=5 layout=1]Earlier, the governors disclosed that they would announce their preferred presidential candidate in January.
However, according to The Punch, a source from the camp of the governors said the governors might heed Obasanjo’s advice that they should endorse the Labour Party presidential standard bearer, Peter Obi.
The ex-president had in August met with the governors in London, where he reportedly 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,’’ the source said.
The source dismissed reports that the governors were divided over the choice of the presidential candidate to endorse.
He said the governors agreed to work for a southern candidate since Atiku failed to prevail on Ayu to step down.
