- Southeast PDP governors have reportedly reconsidered President Buhari option after meeting with Atiku
- The governors were alleged to have struck a deal to enable President Muhammadu Buhari get at least 25 per cent of the votes in their states
- Traditional rulers in Ebonyi state had last week endorsed Buhari at the same time endorsed Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi
There are indications that the alleged plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to break the ranks of southeast governors belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have derailed.
Vanguard reports that the governors have been severally alleged to have struck a deal to enable President Muhammadu Buhari get at least 25 per cent of the votes in their states in 'quid pro quo' for their own easy re-election.
Legit.ng gathered that concerns over the commitment of the southeast governors to the PDP presidential candidate had in recent times emerged upon the open affinity of the governors to President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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It was reported that three of the governors belong to the PDP, the exceptions being Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo state who belongs to the APC and Willie Obiano of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
All three PDP governors in the region, Dave Umahi, Ebonyi; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu and Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia are all running for a second term.
Umahi had in particular been openly supportive of Buhari’s second term and was only last week endorsed by traditional rulers in the state who at the same time endorsed Buhari.
According to the newspaper, reliable sources said that the “wool was pulled off the eyes” of the governor at a confidential meeting involving all three governors, Atiku and Senate president Bukola Saraki.
The meeting which took place in Enugu was said to have been facilitated by the deputy president of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
“Some of the governors had been led to believe that giving Buhari 25 per cent of the votes would not do them any harm but that meeting opened their eyes to the danger of that.
“They were made to realise that they were all in the first term and that after helping the president, the president would turn around to push APC governorship candidates to throw them out and don’t forget that the governorship election comes after the presidential", a source at the meeting disclosed.
Atiku who was present reminded them of the 2003 scenario in which the PDP swept all but one of the five Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors from power.
The exception was Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Lagos who was allegedly tipped off by Atiku. Umahi who is from Ohazara in the southern senatorial district had been especially touted as a collaborator with the Buhari campaign following their links in the former All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).
Sources, however, disclosed that the governor may have reconsidered his choice upon the ethnic dimensions in the state.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Akwa Ibom state governor and governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Udom Emmanuel, presented a 8-point agenda manifesto ahead of the 2019 general elections.
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Source: Legit.ng
