Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday evening hosted G5 stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party, under the aegis of “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP,” saying the political association would not die.
The PDP G5 was formed during the 2023 elections and comprised five governors.
At the Abuja rendezvous, Oyo State’s Governor Seyi Makinde was conspicuously meeting, with those present including: former governors Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Wike (Rivers).
Speaking on the occasion, Ortom challenged to name anyone who had contributed to the growth of PDP more than Wike.
He said the President understands that the country cannot be a one-party state which was why he appointed Wike into a very sensitive position as the FCT minister.
“For whatever reason, PDP made a lot of mistakes and we are where we are today”, he said.
Others at the meeting included the embattled National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda, serving and former federal and state lawmakers, some zonal and state party executives, among a host of others.
Wike told the congregation that the concerned stakeholders were those who had always believed and still believed in PDP’s survival.
He said: “All of you here are those who are committed to the survival of our party not just on TV talking or on the newspapers talking but committed to the party at the various levels.
“Today, this country is stabilized because of the activities of the G5 Governors. You may like us you may hate us. The truth of the matter is if G5 did not take the decision we took, this country would have been in crisis. It doesn’t matter who the beneficiary was but the right thing had to be done and we still stand by that decision.
“If the party had listened to what we said, we won’t have been where we are today and we have continued to sound it to the party, let the constitution of the party and of the country be respected.
“That, as an opposition party, we cannot continue to act with impunity. No opposition party acts with impunity. ”
“Ours is to continue to placate people and bring them together, not to say that they should go to hell.
“Let us not allow greed, let us not allow ego to kill our party”.
