The five Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who recently formed the Integrity Group have lamented their initial plan to build a formidable party that will win the 2023 election is being frustrated by the enemies of the PDP.
They spoke in Abia State on Wednesday night on their arrival to inaugurate the 2023 PDP campaign.
Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike led his colleagues from Samuel Ortom (Benue); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) to Abia State ahead of the flag-off of campaign of the State’s chapter of the PDP.
A statement by Wike’s Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said they were received on arrival by Ikpeazu, who organised a gala night event for them in his country home, Umuobiakwa.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Ortom reiterated that they remained committed members of the PDP.
He said: “All our States from Abia to Rivers, to Oyo to Enugu, to Benue, all of us are PDP States, and we are very strong in all these States, and we are committed to our party.
Ortom said Wike had provided enormous encouragement, support and leadership in its battle against forces that frustrating the PDP from winning the 2023 election.
He said the five governors were men of integrity, who believed in equity, fairness and justice will never succumb to any intimidation.
He said: “One notable person that has made this party what it is, is governor Wike. Since he joined PDP, he has never left PDP.
“In 2015, when I was denied the ticket, l left, went to APC and grab the governor, came back to PDP, because PDP is home.
*So, we appreciate PDP. It is the platform we are working for in our various States. We are not going to be intimated. We appreciate the traditional rulers. You charged us not to be intimidated but stand for the truth. That is what we stand for.”
He said: “Unfortunately, enemies of progress came in. Because one thing that we believed as men of integrity, as men who believed in equity, fairness and justice was our resolve.
“All of us and many others who chickened out, especially from the South resolved that after eight years of rule in the North, we all know that in the unwritten constitution of this country, that it was only right for the sake of justice and equity that presidency should come from the South. And that is what we have stood for.
“Unfortunately, we have found ourselves where we are. But, we told ourselves, we are not going to leave the PDP. You cannot build a house and when a snake creeps into your house, do you abandon that house and run away to go and build another one?”
