Bloody 2019: Wike On The Run As 5 PDP Governors Surrender To Buhari, APC, Out Of Great Fear

Emerging report has revealed on Monday, January 16, that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is not resting in it oars to ensure that the party gains more ground in the South-East and South-South, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Recall, that the APC performed woefully in the two zones in the 2015 general elections, losing most of the areas, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

However, as part of its strategy for a successful 2019 in the zones, top leaders of the APC are dangling carrots of automatic re-election to some first term Governors in the two zones.

Sources confirmed that other Governors in the two zones, who are in their first terms, but do not belong to the APC, are being targeted to decamp to the ruling APC, in order to guarantee a second term.

Further reports, indicate that top on the list of those being approached are: the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano; Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi; Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; and that of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel.

It was only the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that was exempted from the plot, because of his ”political stubbornness”

It was gathered, that towards achieving the goal, some top shots of the APC in the two regions, have been reaching out to the Governors, with a view to convincing them to join the APC, and ditch the PDP.

“The lingering PDP crisis is a fertile ground, and a good excuse for anybody to defect and abandon the party now. Of course, you know that factionalisation is one of the grounds allowed by the constitution for defection. 

“So, it is a good excuse for anybody to use and leave the PDP for now,” said a PDP leader and former Minister.

He added: “Obiano, whose election comes up first in the later part of this year, is under serious pressure to move to the APC. His APGA is having pockets of crisis, which is threatening its unity, going into the election.

“If he accepts to cross over to the APC, he will pick the ticket automatically,” said an APC Chieftain from the South-East.’’

A source close to the Anambra State Governor, said that the fear of the Governor’s camp, is that the rolling APC machine might complicate matters for him in the State.

“You can see how the APC took Edo and Ondo States. You can also see how the APC treated Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the rerun election.

“Those are test runs for what the APC is planning for us this year and in 2019. If the Governor does not play his game well, you know the APC will attempt to take him out. That is the fear,” the source said.

“The party is focused on making serious inroads into the two zones, to ensure its desire to retain power at the centre in 2019.

“We need to be a bit certain in the two zones for 2019. The two zones are proving difficult for our party, but we remain optimistic that we can break into the two zones in 2019. We have some big men from the zone in our party now.

“That leaves us with an option to work hard, and achieve our desire in the two zones,” said an APC Chieftain in the South-East.