G5: Ikpeazu In Trouble Over Ikonne’s Death; May Beg Ayu, Atiku

By Adesina Soyooye

The death of the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abia State Chapter, Professor Uche Ikonne, has placed the Governor of the State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, in a difficult position.

Ikonne, a Professor of Optometry, and a former Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, died on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Following the Candidate’s death, the PDP, Abia State Chapter, is required to field a new Candidate. And, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has given the Party 14 days to conduct a fresh Primary for a fresh Candidate.

Ordinarily, it should be a simple process. But in the case of Abia, it is not, no thanks to the strange choice made by the State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.

Ikpeazu is a member of G5, a group of five PDP Governors at loggerheads with the National Leadership of the Party, as represented by its Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, and the Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The face of G5 is the Governor of Rivers State, the tough-talking Nyesom Wike who is the most vocal of the lot. Even though Wike claims that the leader is the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, it is Wike who has the cash, and talks and threatens most.

This Group has, since after the Presidential Primary where Atiku beat Wike to a second place, distanced itself from all PDP activities, including the Presidential Campaign. The members say they want Ayu out as Chairman of the Party. They say a Southerner should take Ayu’s place because the Presidential Candidate is from same Northern Zone as Ayu. But not a few people think that giving Ayu’s resignation as a condition is a smokescreen. The main reason is Wike’s loss to Atiku. They accuse Ayu of corrupting the process which threw Atiku up. The situation worsened when Wike, also, lost the Vice Presidential slot to his Delta State counterpart, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. So people ask: If Wike was the Vice Presidential candidate, would he have asked Ayu to step down? Would he have exempted himself from  PDP’s activities?

They never invite Ayu and Atiku to any Party activities in their States, including the flagging off of the campaign of their Governorship Candidates, National Assembly and Houses of Assembly candidates.

Mostly, Wike plays the role of handing over Party flags to the candidates, a function reserved for the National Party Chairman and, in the case of PDP, the Presidential Candidate.

However, now, with the death of Ikonne, the chicken has come home to roost. Ikpeazu is in trouble. As earlier stated, the PDP has 14 days to replace its Candidate. The Governorship Election is on March 11, 2023 – barely one month away.

Here’s the problem for Ikpeazu. Usually, it is the National Chairman of the Party who writes to INEC informing it of the of the conduct of the Primary. It is the National Chairman who would sign and send the name of the new Candidate to INEC. So, now, who will perform the functions for Ikpeazu and the Abia PDP which he leads?

On the day Ikpeazu flagged off the Campaign in Abia – Governorship, National Assembly and House of Assembly, he did not invite Ayu and Atiku. But Wike and his group were at hand to perform the duties.

It was Wike who handed over the Party’s flag to Ikonne as the Party’s Governorship Candidate, a function, symbolically reserved for the Chairman. As he did so, Wike didn’t  spare Ayu his usual acidic tongue. He gave Ayu that fully, while Ikpeazu watched excitedly, and grinned from ear to ear.

Now, who will write and sign the letter to INEC, informing, and inviting it to the fresh Primary? Who will write and submit the Candidate’s name to INEC? Who will do that for Ikpeazu? Who will, even, screen the fresh aspirants for him and his Chapter? Will he invite Wike to do those for him? INEC only recognises the Party’s National Chairman only. Any other thing is void.

And, if the National Leadership of the Party decides to play tit for tat, it will never allow Ikpeazu have his way, as Governors usually do, in the choice of the Governorship Candidate.  It is easy to screen out his preferred candidate using any excuse, no matter how flimsy.

Opinion is that Okezie will run helter-skelter to find a way to appease Ayu and Atiku – and, finally, play the good boy.