PDP crisis: We’re now ‘Integrity Group’ -Bode George, Makinde, Wike, Fayose announce new faction

By Chinelo Obogo  and Sunday Ani

A new twist has crept into the protracted crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the five aggrived governors and some aggrieved party stalwarts, yesterday, announced the formation of the Integrity Group within the party.

The G5 Governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers have been clamouring for the resignation of the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, shortly after the party presidential ticket was won by a northerner, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Other governors are Samuel Ortom of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.

But the governors and other aggrieved party leaders, who had a strategic meeting in Lagos, yesterday, reiterated their position that the window for reconciliation still remained open ahead of the 2023 general election.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, former Plateau State Governor, Mr Jonah Jang, said: 

“We have reviewed the issues in our party and we, therefore, stand on the position we took at our last meeting in PortHarcourt and we hereby reiterate our position that the window for reconcilation in our great party, the PDP, remains open.”

The governors had insisted that the national chairman of the PDP, Iyorcha Ayu, should resign in order to maintain balance and equity after the emergence of a northern candidate.

Before the meeting, Governor Makinde  had announced the formation of the Integrity Group saying it was the face behind the struggle within the PDP.

“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,” he said.

Other party leaders at the meeting were former governors,  Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo State), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Donald Duke (Cross River), Jonah Jang (Plateau), former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Bello Adoke; Deputy National Chairman South of the PDP, Mr Taofeek Arapaja; Sen. Nasif Suleiman,  Nnena Ukeje, Sen. Sandy Onor and Senator Mao Ohabunwa.

The party leaders have repeatedly maintained that Ayu must resign for the sake of fairness and justice so as to bring peace to the party.

The aggrieved group maintained the need for the South to produce the party’s national chairman after Abubakar because the party’s presidential flag-bearer for the  2023 general election is from the North.