Finally, Makinde defends G5 governors following Atiku loss in all five states

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has reiterated that the G5 Governors were only fighting for what was right as they fought the national leadership of the party for its decision not to zone the presidency or national chairmanship position to the south.

The G5 is made up of five PDP governors — Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers).

The five governors formed an alliance after the party’s presidential primary in May 2022, to demand that the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu step down for a southern replacement as a precondition to support the presidential ambition of the party’s flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar in the February 25 poll. Both Atiku and Ayu called the governors’ bluff and did not succumb to their demands in the just-concluded elections.

Speaking after his re-election, Makinde in an interview with Channels TV said that the agitation of the G5 didn't put their careers in jeopardy. On hindsight, he said they were just fighting for what was right for the party and the country.

"Not at all Seun, you know our agitation at the G5 didn’t place our career as a major consideration. You know we thought we were fighting for what is right, what is just for this country and for our party."

"We said that we will prefer to see a PDP that will must obey its own constitution because rotation and zoning of party offices is there. It’s part of PDP’s constitution, so none of us ever thought we were playing a survival game. No, we were just simply saying, do what is right, do what is just, have inclusivity as something central in our party and country."

For the presidential election, Atiku lost in all the G5 states while Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi won Enugu and Abia, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) raked in Oyo, Benue and Rivers.

Of the G5, Ortom, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and Wike are two-term governors while Makinde is a single-term governor who is contesting the March 11, 2023 governorship poll and hopes to return to office for another four years.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday declared the Oyo State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Seyi Makinde, as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

Makinde polled 563,756 votes to beat his close rival Teslim Folarin of All Progressive Congress who scored 256,685 votes, while Adebayo Adelabu of Accord Party scored 38,357 votes.

“That Makinde Oluseyi having satisfied the requirement of the law is declared winner of the poll,” The state Returning Officer, Olusola Kehinde, said.

Makinde won 31 out of the 33 local government areas in the state, while Folarin came second by winning two local governments of Irepo and Ore-lope.