The meeting between the five disgruntled governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some party leaders has been made public.
WITHIN NIGERIA previously reported that the five PDP governors and allies of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike met on Sunday at the Southern Sun hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos.
At the meeting, the G5 governors and other PDP stalwarts outlined the next course of action in the opposition party’s lingering crisis.
Former Plateau Governor Jonah Jang, reading the group’s communiqué following its deliberations, stated that the G5 and members of the group have formed the Integrity Group.
Jang claimed that the PDP governors and their allies reiterated their willingness to reconcile, saying they are still open to dialogue.
He reiterated the governors’ demands, which include the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyiocha Ayu, and the selection of his successor from the South.
According to the former governor, the governors and members of the Integrity group have stated that they will not participate in the PDP presidential campaign unless their demands are met.
According to Jang, the Wike camp advised the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Ayu to make a decision before it was too late.
He said:
After a careful review of developments, we have decided to stand on the decision we took at our Port-Harcourt meeting. We hereby again reiterate that the window of reconciliation in our great party remains open.
Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Seyi Makinde were present at the meeting (Oyo).
Others included former Deputy National Chairman Olabode George, former Ekiti governor Ayodele Fayose, former Ondo governor Olusegun Mimiko, and former Cross River governor Donald Duke.
Taofeek Arapaja, PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Dan Orbih, former Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, Senator Sunday Onor, Senator Nafiz Suleiman, Senator Olaka Nwogu, Nene Ukeje, Senator Mao Ohabunwa, Ali Odefa, and Dotun Babayemi were also present.
Makinde stated before the closed-door meeting that the G5 governors, as well as some party leaders and elders, are now members of a newly formed Integrity Group.
Makinde had said:
We are here this morning to hold a meeting of the Integrity Group within our party, the PDP. You’ve known the G5 which is the five PDP governors. The G5 is all about the Integrity Group. You can see us, five serving governors, as the face of this struggle but the leaders and elders of the party that you see here are the people behind those faces.
We are this morning in the South West to review the situation within our party, to review where we are, and to also look at what is going to happen in the coming elections. At the end of our deliberations, you will be fully briefed on where we stand on those burning issues. On behalf of our leaders and elders in the South West, I want to welcome members of the Integrity Group to Lagos.