PDP Crisis: Tambuwal Meets Ortom, Begins Peace Talk With G5

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has begun reconciliation talks with the G5, also known as the Integrity group.

He started his reconciliation talks by visiting the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, whom he believes can help the party reach out to the G5

The G5 or integrity group are made up of, Governor Nyesom Wiek(Rivers State) Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

They had concluded that until the National Chairman of the Party Dr Iyorchia Ayu resigns and is replaced by a southerner, they would not work for Atiku.

Meanwhile, all efforts by Atiku and other party stakeholders including the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustee (BoT) to pacify the aggrieved parties have failed.

Tambuwal, who is also the Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, admitted that politicians will always disagree but said the need to seek reconciliation and mend fences, most times, help rebuild the ranks of members for a stronger purpose.

“Internal party wrangling is normal and what we have been having is not a war of attrition but disagreement. We, even in our families, have reasons to disagree several times and even come back stronger. So, it’s a work in progress. We are interested in bringing everybody together and working together,” he said.

On his part, Ortom commended Tambuwal for the move to initiate peace talks. He said the party leadership mismanaged the opportunity to turn the disagreement into a big revolution ahead of the 2023 elections.

He said, “We have discussed quite a number of issues, including the division in the PDP and the G-5, of which I am a member. He is principally here to see how we can team up and work together as a party.”

“I have told him we are members of the PDP and as I have always said, the leadership of this party have failed to take advantage of the challenges of the party and make the party stronger right from when we held our national convention.

“Instead of the party deploying its internal conflict resolution mechanism to look at the grievances that arose as a result of the primaries, no matter how stupid they were, they have failed to do this. Rather it is arrogance and a nonchalant attitude, Ortom said.

“Nobody has cared to reach out to us even when we voiced out that things were not going on well.

“For me, I commend him (Tambuwal) for taking this step to visit me and we have discussed my opinion on how I think this matter can be resolved and I believe that as a leader and as DG of the campaign, he will do the needful because I am not alone.

“Talking to me alone will not solve the problem, but reaching out to others will be more meaningful. I also believe he will also try to do the needful to put the party together as it is,” Ortom added.