By Bukola Amusan
The group of five governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s platform have stated their reasons for coming up with the G-5.
The Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, made this known on Saturday that the rationale behind the controversial G-5 is to enshrine the culture of integrity, patriotism, equity, fairness and justice in the PDP’s ranks.
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Ortom who spoke at cultural night and dinner organised by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for his colleagues at the Government House, Enugu, said the group was not about ego.
Recall that the group was originally allies of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike who fell apart with the leadership of the PDP after the governor lost the party’s presidential ticket to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. Thing further went south after their calls for Senator Iyorchia Ayu’s removal as the party’s national chairman on the basis of him being from the same region with the flagbearer were ignored.
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Other members of the G-5 at the event were the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, while Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is presently out of the country for an official engagement.
Thanking Gov. Ugwuanyi for the warm reception he accorded them, Gov. Ortom said that the G5 PDP Governors also known as Integrity Governors are passionate about the peace, unity and progress of Nigeria, stating that “we want things to work.”
The Benue State Governor stressed that “our passion is how can we make things work here in Nigeria by being disciplined,” adding: “It is not about ourselves; it is not about our ego; it is about what we would do to turn around things and ensure the rule of law, due process and integrity in what we do, so that we will have other people visiting us, so that there will be security, so that our economy will be on the right path.”