Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied reports that five disgruntled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors known as the G5 are fighting his cause.
According to a statement released by his Special Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the former President also urged warring members of the party to settle their differences ahead of the 2023 general elections.
For months, the PDP G5 – Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) – have insisted that Iyorchia Ayu step down as PDP national chairman as a condition for campaigning for PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Jonathan, who was democratically elected President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015 on the PDP platform, was reportedly summoned to intervene in the G5-Ayu dispute.
In the statement, Eze stated that Jonathan could be called upon to intervene in the crisis.
“Our attention was called to provocative and insulting statements in separate but similar versions of the story in different news media, either claiming that ‘the whole thing we are seeing in the PDP … is orchestrated for President Jonathan,’ or that ‘he (Jonathan) is encouraging Governors Nyesom Wike, Makinde, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and Ortom to behave the way they are doing’, knowing that ‘these five governors are fighting his cause’.” The statement partly read.
“How could anybody turn around in 2022 to accuse Jonathan of bearing a grudge against the PDP when the former President had campaigned vigorously for the party and its presidential candidate (Atiku) during the 2019 elections?
“Those who insinuate that Dr. Jonathan is not happy with the PDP’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, because of whatever roles he played ahead of the 2015 elections forget that the former President actively campaigned for Atiku in 2019, attending the flag off of his campaigns in Sokoto and subsequently participating in the campaigns in some states like Rivers and Bayelsa.
“The fact that Dr. Jonathan stood out as an exemplary politician who, throughout his political career, abhorred treachery and mean-mindedness, and played politics without bitterness, needs no gainsay.
“Unlike many of his detractors, the former President has, out of office, progressed to a higher level of statesmanship, faithfully applying himself to causes that promote peace, love, unity and progress, across the entire west African sub-region.
“It is Dr. Jonathan’s wish that the PDP is able to resolve its internal crisis, unite all members and have a good showing in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
“We wish to however point out that it will be difficult to achieve this aspiration if some forces in the party continue to engage in mudslinging, disinformation and manifest tendencies that negate the values that are dear to loyal party members.”
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