JUST IN: Some G5 governors will still work for PDP – Dino Melaye

Spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, Dino Melaye has said some of the aggrieved G5 governors of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP are still going to work for the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Melaye made this assertion in an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Tuesday.

He said, “Above all, by the grace of God at the end of the day, we may not get everybody together. We can not get everybody together. But, some of these governors are still going to work for their party. 

“If you see in Benue rally yesterday, Gabriel Suswam, the immediate past governor of Benue state, before Governor Wike and the other governors, before Ortom, he made it categorically that they are going to support Atiku and the party from head to toe.

“Senator Abba Moro and Governor of Abia when talking in Makurdi also made it clear that he is support the PDP from head to toe.” Melaye added. 

Recall that Melaye earlier criticised Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom for saying he will not support the presidential ambition of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Melaye was reacting to Ortom’s disposition that he would not support a Fulani man to become the nation’s president due to atrocities of the Fulani in Benue State.

Ortom spoke in Makurdi on Monday in the presence of his disgruntled colleagues – Nyesom Wike, Seyi Makinde, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu of Rivers, Oyo, Enugu and Abia states respectively.

He said, “My people are being killed and you want me to be quiet; you want me to be a slave to a Fulani. It’s better I die. Anybody supporting Atiku in Benue is an enemy of the state.”

Reacting to the statement on Tuesday, the former Kogi senator said while he condemned the criminalities of Fulani herders going on in Benue state and in Nigeria, it was not fair for Ortom to drag Atiku in the mud over the issue.

Melaye said, “Everybody has the right to support any presidential candidate of their choice. But it is unfair for Governor Ortom to put the blame of criminalities of Fulani herders going on in Benue State on the lap of our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.”

He further said, “I also condemn the attacks and killing of people in Benue, but this has nothing to do with Atiku Abubakar.”

Atiku’s media aide also said not all Fulani are evil. He said there are good Muslims and Christians among the Fulani adding that former Presidents – Shehu Shagari and Umaru Yar’Adua were both Fulani and appointed Benue indigenes into their respective governments.