PDP crisis: Again, the four musketeers, Govs. Wike, Makinde, Ikpeazu, Ortom jet out of Nigeria

Like a ritual, the four irrepressible and protesting People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors have again jetted out of the country in continuation of their series of strategic meetings held outside the country for responses to the crisis in the party and realignment towards the 2023 polls.

The governors are Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Samuel Ortom (Benue).

The “rebel” governors, Persecondnews learnt, have travelled this time to Spain.

They were sighted in the early hours of Saturday (Oct. 15) at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, before they left the shores of the country in what described as political tourism and junketing.

A top echelon of PDP confirmed to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday: “Yes, it is true. They left for Spain early Saturday morning, but I can’t say the reason for the trip.”

Although Wike had vowed to remain in the party with his co-travellers, they have stated time and again that anything short of the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu to pave way for a Southern chairman is unacceptable to them.

The junketeers (governors) have also boycotted the campaigns of their party’s flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Delta Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa to protest the continued retention of Ayu as chairman, insisting that such an arrangement is a violation of the party’s constitution on zoning of political offices.

According to them, the North cannot have the presidential candidate and national Chairman and that Ayu had promised to resign if presidential candidate emerges from the North.

Persecondnews also recalls that on Friday, the PDP Board of Trustees said it has approved the resignation of Ayu but only after the 2023 polls, citing a possible derailment of the party’s electioneering if he is removed now.

After the party’s presidential primary election in June 2022, the “powerful governors” who have held the candidate and the party by the jugular, had travelled to London about three times for meetings with Atiku, APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.