From Chinelo Obogo and Paul Orude, Bauchi
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State on Wednesday met with his counterparts in Rivers, Nyesom Wike, Benue, Samuel Ortom, Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu at the state government house in Bauchi.
This is coming after Mohammed paid a solidarity visit to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, at his Abuja residence.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Wike said he came with the governors to offer their support over the challenges Mohammed is facing within the party and to see areas they can help Mohammed in his re-election bid.
He also said that he and his allies are open to reconciliation with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that they never closed the door for reconciliation. Wike and his allies have been at loggerheads with the party after he lost the PDP presidential primary to Atiku Abubakar. They are demanding the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the National Chairman of the PDP and have pulled out of the party’s presidential campaign. Reconciliation moves have also failed.
“We came here to offer solidarity with our friend the governor of Bauchi State. I know he is seeking re-election and what we are doing is to look out for our colleagues who are in need of our support. This visit will afford us the opportunity to discuss with him on areas of advice. Bala has done a lot in Bauchi and I know the people will vote for him again in 2023. What affects him, affects us. That is why we came. The people of Bauchi will still vote for him to come back for a second term.
“I have stated severally that we have never closed the door for reconciliation. All we are calling for is equity, fairness, and justice. In fact, that is the hallmark that PDP stands for. All we are saying is, ‘Look, let the right thing be done.’ If the right thing is done, the whole country would know that the election is over. This G5 you are seeing is the bedrock of the party so we would not close the door for reconciliation,” he said.
While speaking, Ortom apologised over the remark he made on Sunday when he hosted the G5 governors in Makurdi the Capital of Benue that anybody supporting Atiku is an enemy of Benue and that he would not be a slave to the Fulani.
“That was not what I meant when I was captured saying that but all the same I know it will amount to logical fallacy if people have taken it the way I did. But I want to say to those who I have offended by my remarks I don’t mean that, I’m sorry about that,” he said.
In his response, Governor Mohammed said he had always been a part of the G-5 but was not carried along somewhere down the line.
“I am supposed to be with them but they ex-communicated me for some reasons best known to them but l am highly connected to each and every one of them. There is no day l don’t speak with them. In politics you go with the people you share things in common with. The presidency has brought us closer and one thing l appreciate with is that they look at your challenges even though they are not going for a second term. Their own principle might be different from me but certainly, I feel their pains as much as they feel my own pain. We share so much in common,” he said.
The visit of the governors is coming after Daily Sun reported that Mohammed had threatened to leave the party’s presidential campaign council after accusing Atiku of trying to sabotage his re-election bid.
In a letter written to the national chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu, dated November 3, 2022 and obtained by Daily Sun, Mohamed alleged that Atiku had threatened to “punish” him for contesting against him during the party’s presidential primary.
Mohammed alleged that Atiku had allowed political opportunists to ride on his back to wreck vengeance him and that despite complaining to the presidential candidate and his running mate as well as party elders, he said the treachery has escalated under the watchful eyes of Atiku who he said is the leader of the groups.