The G5 Governors and other aggrieved members of the party have insisted that the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, must resign for the sake of fairness.
The aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), popularly known as G5 Governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in alliance with some chieftains of the party, have announced the formation of Integrity Group.
The official formation of the group within the party was made known to journalists on Sunday by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State before the group’s closed-door meeting in Lagos.
The G5 Governors and other aggrieved members of the party have insisted that the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, must resign for the sake of fairness.
Ayu and the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar are from the North. Meanwhile, according to the aggrieved governors, the agreement was that Ayu would resign if a northerner emerged as the presidential candidate of the party, for a southerner to replace him.
Ayu has however refused to resign from office.
The G5 Governors comprise Governor Wike, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Makinde and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
Addressing journalists on Sunday before their strategic meeting in Lagos, Governor Makinde said the Integrity Group remained the face behind the struggle within the PDP.
He said, “We are here this morning to hold a meeting of the Integrity Group within our party, the PDP. We have been of the G5, that 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; both the leaders and elders of the party that you see here are the people behind those faces.
“We are 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.”
Other stalwarts of the party present at the meeting include former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, and former governors Jonah Jang and Olusegun Mimiko.