Why G5 governors must sheathe swords, support Atiku, by Sani

President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria (CRCN), Sen. Shehu Sani, has urged the G5 governors to sheathe their swords and support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to win the 2023 election.

The G5, led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, comprises Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). They fell out with Atiku for backtracking on an agreement over zoning of the party’s presidential ticket and national chairmanship.

In an interview with The Guardian in Kaduna, yesterday, the PDP chieftain asserted that if, in the next two weeks, the prolonged face-off between the five governors and Atiku is not resolved, it will never be resolved.

According to Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the Senate from June 2015 and June 2019, the political squabbles between the PDP G5 governors and Atiku has dragged for a long time, pointing out that it is time all the parties in the dispute ended the political crisis to pave way for PDP’s victory in next year’s elections.

The human rights activist told The Guardian the G5 governors risk political suicide, if they declare their support for another party in 2023, noting that the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.

He said: “The G5 governors should sheathe their swords and support Atiku Abubakar. Better the devil they know than the devil they don’t. Whereever they go, they are going to be strangers, and whoever wins other than Atiku would not take them as priority over the people who are already there.

“Politicians don’t respect accord. One thing the G5 governors should know is that if any candidate, other than the one from their party, wins the presidency, it is impossible for their candidates in the Senate, House of Representatives, Houses of Assembly and even governorship to win elections.”

He warned them to be careful and know that nobody could protect and secure them other than the presidential candidate of their own party.

While Wike had said he would disclose his preferred presidential candidate in January, the G5 governors are in London, probably to agree on whom to support for the country’s number one seat.

Sani added: “Once they endorse a candidate, the room for reconciliation has already closed. Another thing is that they can never be sure that the people of their states would vote for the candidate recommended outside their party, based on the fact that, apart from Makinde, they are all outgoing.

“What they should also know is that it is not about the presidential candidate of APC, Bola Tinubu; but people who surround Tinubu. Do they think that the Northern governors (who stepped down for him) would allow Tinubu to make them, G5 governors, a priority?”