Southeast PDP governors reconsider supporting Buhari after Atiku warns they will be dumped

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) governors across the southeast geo-political zone have apparently had a rethink about plans to support President Muhammadu Buhari in this month's presidential elections after holding a meeting with his rival Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

On February 16, Nigerians go to the polls to elect a new president and on March 3, there will be gubernatorial elections, with three of the five governors in the southeast facing re-election. Alhaji Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate will be facing incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential poll but the three PDP governors of Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states appeared to be veering towards supporting President Buhari.

Apparently, governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, David Umahi of Ebonyi and Okezie Ipkeazu of Abia had struck a deal to enable President Buhari get at least 25% of the votes in their states in exchange for their own easy re-election. It is believed that the APC had resolved not to mount too much of a campaign against them if they allowed President Buhari to make a breakthrough in their states.

Governor Umahi in particular, had been openly supportive of President Buhari’s second term and was only last week endorsed by traditional rulers in the state who at the same time endorsed the president. However, he and his two colleagues are now having a rethink after holding a meeting earlier this week with Alhaji Abubakar and the senate president Senator Bukola Saraki.

At the meeting, facilitated by deputy senate president Senator Ike Ekweremadu, which took place in Enugu, Alhaji Abubakar and Senator Saraki pressed it upon the governors that the APC is unlikely to keep its side of the bargain. It was made clear to the governors that they would be used and then abandoned by the APC.

One source at the meeting said: “Some of the governors had been led to believe that giving Buhari 25% 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, he would turn around to push APC governorship candidates to throw them out and don’t forget that the governorship election comes after the presidential polls.”

Alhaji Abubakar reminded them of the 2003 scenario in which the PDP swept all but  one of the five Alliance for Democracy governors from power in the southwest. At the time, the one exception was Governor Bola Tinubu in Lagos who was allegedly tipped off by Atiku.

Governor Umahi has been especially touted as a collaborator with the Buhari campaign due to their links when they were both members of the All Nigeria People’s Party Sources at the meeting disclosed that the governor may have now reconsidered his choice given the dynamics now at play.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is a staunch Buhari supporter being member of the APC, as is Governor Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. Governor Okorocha is running for senate as he has completed his two terms, while in Anambra State, governorship elections are not due until 2021.