There are indications on Monday that moves by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, to persuade aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors to embrace peace have failed.
Emmanuel had a few days ago met with the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom; and his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt as part of efforts to appeal to the aggrieved governor to support the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Although Emmanuel described the meeting as a brotherly visit in the spirit of Christmas, it was gathered that it was a last-minute attempt by the governor to convince his counterparts to give peace a chance.
This came to the fore on Monday as the aggrieved governors are scheduled to visit Ibadan on Thursday for the inauguration of their Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde’s campaign.
Wike, Ortom, Makinde Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and some political heavyweights from the South had parted ways with the PDP presidential candidate over his alleged refusal to prevail on the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign after Atiku, a northerner, clinched the presidential ticket of the party.
The governors insisted that Ayu’s resignation would ensure a balance in the leadership of the main opposition party.
An associate of the Benue State governor, who spoke under anonymity who said there was no going back in the decision of the five aggrieved governors to dump the party’s presidential candidate.
Emmanuel chairs the Presidential Campaign Council.
