PDP threatens sanctions as G-5 govs meet Tinubu in UK

The five disgruntled governors of the Peoples Democratic Party met with Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress, in London, United Kingdom.

During Tuesday’s marathon meeting, the APC standard-bearer is alleged to have lobbied for the support of the five governors.

Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu states and some political heavyweights from the South had vowed not to support the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over the refusal of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign after Atiku obtained the presidential ticket of the party.

But hours after the governors meeting with Tinubu, the PDP said it was not aware of their parley with the ruling party’s presidential candidate, noting that as far it was concerned, the governors were in the UK on vacation.

The main opposition party, however, threatened to punish the governors for any anti-party activities, stressing that it had the capacity to discipline the recalcitrant governors.

Shedding light on the London meeting, a source stated, “Tinubu met with the aggrieved governors yesterday (Tuesday) along with a delegation that included (Kayode) Fayemi, (Babajide) Sanwo-Olu, one other governor and an ex-governor. For now, we are only waiting for the G-5 governors to make the official pronouncement in January.”

On what the demands of the aggrieved governors were, the source declined speaking, saying he wouldn’t want to speculate.

“I don’t have details about that. What I know is that they have met and declared their indication at the meeting that they are not supporting any other candidate,” he stated.

A source in the Lagos State Government House, stated, “I have received several inquiries on this report of the governor’s supposed travel with Asiwaju (Tinubu) and I can tell you that he is still in Nigeria. In fact, I spoke with him twice today (Wednesday). Even if he were to travel to meet the G-5 Governors outside the country, it is not something he would want to disclose, but he is very much in the country,”

But commenting on the governors’ reported alliance with Tinubu, a member of the PDP National Working Committee, Timothy Osadalor, said the party has what it takes to impose the necessary sanctions on the governors should they make real their threat of dumping the party’s presidential candidate.