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NetworknewsngNov 26, 2022Read original

The need to give the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, adequate time to correct “a big anomaly” in the party before the February polls is the reason five aggrieved governors elected on the platform of the party are open to reconciliation, Saturday PUNCH can authoritatively reveal.

The governors, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia states are demanding the resignation of National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, on the grounds that the party cannot have a presidential candidate and its chairman from the same regional bloc.

Although they (aggrieved governors) have successfully inaugurated their respective campaign councils, the governors alongside their loyalists have been consistent in their stand that reconciliation is possible in the interest of the party if only the right thing is done.

The governors, this medium learnt, did not have personal axe to grind with Atiku and were said to be considering working with him if only Ayu would tender an unreserved apology to them given his failure to keep his promise that he would quit his post if a northerner emerged the PDP presidential candidate.

The All Progressives Congress held a rally for its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in Lagos on Saturday.

Present at the rally were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima, and a host of other party stakeholders and supporters.

Gbajabiamila shared some photos from the event on his Twitter handle on Saturday.

Also present was the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and Minister of Works & Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

The Supreme Court has reacted to the purported political comments made by Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on the activities of the five Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), otherwise known as G-5 Governors.

In a statement on Saturday, the apex dissociated itself from the political statement, saying people are only trying to concoct words to suit certain agenda, noting that the CJN did make the statement that is attributed to him.

The Apex Court, in the first official reaction, said categorically that Justice Ariwoola never made any comments to the effect that he was happy that his home state governor, Seyi Makinde, is among the G-5 Governors.

A statement by the Director of Information and Press, Supreme Court of Nigeria, Dr Festus Akande, said that those crediting the CJN with the comments were just out to score cheap goals with the remarks of Justice Ariwoola at a public function in Port Harcourt, River State.

The statement dated November 26 read in part, “Our attention has been drawn to a publication with the caption “I am happy, Makinde is among G-5 Governors” making the rounds in both conventional and social media.

“We wish to state unequivocally clear that the CJN, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, had never at any point said such during his brief remarks at the State Banquet organised as part of the events lined up for the commissioning of the two Judiciary projects undertaken by the Rivers State Government.

“Issues bordering on misconceptions and misrepresentations of this nature are not always strange in times like this when the country is preparing for general elections, as some people may want to take advantage of every opportunity to score very cheap goals.

“As we all know, this is the era of aggressive and even unconventional politicking, so there’s nothing that will not be heard or seen at this crucial time, especially between now and February 2023, when the general elections will be conducted.

“People say whatever they choose to say, just to please their selfish interests and inordinate desires.

“We can’t really pinpoint where such barefaced falsehood is coming from, and certainly, we don’t also know at what point the CJN said he was happy that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State was a member of the now christened “Integrity Group” or “G-5 Governors.”