How G5 governors outwitted Atiku’s camp to make Makinde NGF deputy chairman

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on Tuesday night, May 23, elected Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state as the Vice Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

In a recent development, the choice of Makinde, a governor under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the deputy chairman of one of the most influential power blocs in Nigeria virtually went under the radar.

The real intrigues, however, surfaced in the choice of Makinde, a member of the PDP group of five (G5) governors, as the deputy chairman.

Before the meeting, there were moves by some pro-Atiku Abubakar governors to nominate Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo state, for the position.

The G5 governors, which came out of the Integrity Group of the PDP, headed by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state and his Benue state counterpart, Samuel Ortom, formed a major opposition to Atiku in the 2023 presidential election and were believed to have contributed to the defeat of their flag bearer.

The war continued on a low-key level at the NGF meeting, but insiders told TheCable that Makinde vs Obaseki was clearly going to be a no-contest.

“Most of the APC governors were with the G5 while two PDP governors were also going to support Makinde. It became glaring that the pro-Atiku governors were about to fight a lost battle, so they quietly jettisoned their move,” a governor who attended the meeting told TheCable.