Latent apprehension in PDP as Wike, Ibori, Makinde visit Tinubu at Presidential Villa, Wike dismisses defection plan

There appears to be latent apprehension in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former Governor James Ibori of Delta State visited President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
While the visit may be generating apprehension in the PDP, Governor Wike dismissed insinuation of any plan to defect to the APC. It was gathered that in an interaction with State House Correspondents after the meeting with Tinubu, the Rivers Governor responding to question on ‘plans to defect to the APC, was cited to have declared ‘Don’t say that’.
Governor Wike had led four other PDP governors, who include Governor Seyi Makinde, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to oppose the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as PDP candidate for the 2023 general elections, while Iyorchia Ayu was the PDP National Chairman, both from the north. They had demanded the resignation of Ayu as chairman and his replacement with a southern chairman of the party.
The PDP G5 insisted on their agitation which was rooted in zoning of the 2023 presidency to the south, and declined supporting Atiku and the PDP in the February 25 presidential election won by Tinubu of the APC. PDP lost Rivers, Oyo and Delta states in the February 25 presidential election. APC won Rivers and Oyo, while Labour Party won Delta, PDP dominated states before the elections.
Subsequently, Atiku and the PDP lost the presidential election to Tinubu of the APC, and Ayu was removed as PDP national chairman after the 2023 general elections.
There has not been remarkable efforts for reconciliation by the new PDP leadership since the conclusion of the general elections. However, the victory of Tinubu and the APC is being challenged at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal by Atiku and the PDP, including Peter Obi of the Labour Party.