PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called on the G5, a group of dissident members within the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to help ensure the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, sails smoothly to victory in the 2027 presidential election.
Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, made this call on Sunday, June 18, 2023, during a thanksgiving reception held at the private residence of Nyesom Wike, former governor of Rivers State and a prominent member of the G5.
“I want to thank you for all your efforts to bring justice to Nigeria,” Akpabio told Wike, who supported a power shift to Southern Nigeria and backed APC’s candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 presidential election against PDP’s chosen candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Addressing the G5, or the Integrity Group, composed of five leading discontented politicians within the PDP, Akpabio expressed his appreciation for their actions.
“We are very delighted, we are proud to have G5. Please, ensure that in 2027, another G5 emerges so that APC will continue to do well in this country. And if you like, you can add two more, make it G7 and not only G5,” he said.
Turning to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, another member of the G5, Akpabio recalled a previous encounter: “Your Excellency (Governor) Makinde, you know I predicted that you are going to be a governor when I met you…I just saw the way you were walking and I said, ‘This man walks like a governor.’ I wasn’t surprised when you became a governor.”
The event saw attendance from all members of the G5, as well as other prominent political figures, including Acting PDP Chairman Umar Damagum and several former governors.
President Bola Tinubu was represented by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The gathering also included high-ranking APC stalwarts and members of the 10th National Assembly.
