Before the night market, By Wole Olaoye

The rumor mill has recently erupted with the news that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and four other friends who form the G5 group of dissident governors in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have concluded talks with the rival candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with a view to campaign for the APC in the upcoming presidential election.

If you believe everything you read, you are alone.

Listening to the stories in different newspapers with a tooth comb, they seem very similar, as if they all come from the same raw original. Anyone familiar with the various things that go into the dirty tricks department of presidential campaigns will not be surprised by the efforts to ghost stories and plant them in various news media as if they were the holy grail.

The meeting between APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) is supposed to be held at Tinubu’s London. front. While the G5 group is reported to have sued some APC candidates (for example, the joint candidates of the alliance field in some states to retaliate for the gesture of G5 governors campaigning for APC), Asiwaju Tinubu and his acolytes are said to have. rejected the suggestion on the grounds that there would be enough positions to divide if he won the presidency and therefore there was no need to upset the apple cart of the election as it is currently set up.

Some reports even claimed that the BBC was the source but failed to produce a link to the original story. One report quoted a press release issued by Governor Wike to the effect that the G5 had agreed to work for Tinubu.

Titled, “WE have a deal with APC – Gov. Wike”, this story is woven with borrowed legitimacy as it is described as “Excerpt from Gov. Nyesom Wike’s address to BBC Africa in London, December 28, 2022, after the G-5 Meeting with APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It is a figurative verbal bow:

“I have instructed my colleagues in the G-5, the only party that can win the 2023 Presidency is the All Progressives Congress APC, and we must do everything we can to get the Southern Nigerian Leadership from the party under my successor and boss, Mr. Honorable Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and the Vice President of the Senate, Honorable Rt. Hon. Ovie Omo-Agege, to perfect all the arrangements.

“We have met with the Presidential Candidate of APC, Ahmed Bola Tinubu. He directed us to officially defect from PDP to APC, which is a very impossible idea at the moment since some of my colleagues have PDP Tickets. I told Tinubu that we should stay in PDP and do the job, and after the 2023 victory, I will collapse every remnant of the PDP in factions in Nigeria, starting from Rivers State.

“On Governor Candidate Sim Fubara, what I am saying is, let APC win the Presidency and the National Assembly first, that should be our priority as Rivers people now.

“As for the rumor that we have endorsed the Candidate of the Labor Party, Mr. Peter Obi, you must understand that we are talking about the Presidency of Nigeria, not the Trades Union or the Anambra Governorship election here…”

Fakery is quite amateurish and rude! It amazes me that adults who can read can share it on social media. One newspaper even quoted “a source close to the meeting” who told reporters that, “the governor should remain in PDP and work for the actualization of Tinubu’s presidency while pursuing other political interests.”

Late on Friday, when he returned from a trip abroad, Wike was very surprised that he described those who published stories about his meeting with Tinubu as purveyors of fake news. Fired on all cylinders as it has become a characteristic of people, who noted that the noble profession of journalism has abandoned only pressmen who are in the trade for money. He wondered why those who claimed that they held a meeting with Tinubu, could not publish photos or videos of the meeting. He revealed that he was only on vacation with his family and that he took the time to meet his G5 friends. He challenged anyone with evidence to join the cause. He also dared the PDP to wield a big axe. A trusted honey-badger of the PDP, he has an ace up his sleeve.

On the heels of the salacious story, Wike’s party, PDP, is reportedly considering expelling the G5 Governor if they throw out the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and endorse either Tinubu of the APC or Peter Obi of the Labor Party as speculated. The leadership of the PDP is said to be mulling over the possibility of disbanding the party structure in the states of the G5 governorships and creating a committee to handle the affairs of the party in the five states.

PDP is also said to bank on its ability to break ranks of G5 governors by playing on individual interests. Governors Ortom, Ugwuanyi and Ikpeazu are vying for the senatorial seat under the PDP, they are in the last lap of their second term as governors. Governor Makinde, on the other hand, is seeking a second term as governor. The challenge the rival APC is facing in Oyo State is quite daunting. Even if it is too late to withdraw the candidate’s name, the party can create problems for him by removing him and following up litigation to send his political career to the dustbin. But which party is facing a national election that will disrupt the process?

Wike was not in the polls but he is the arrow of the G5 governors and the larger body, the Integrity Group which includes among political notables like former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose; former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke; former Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang; former PDP National Vice Chairman, Chief Bode George; and some others.

While some rumormongers have almost joined the Integrity Group to the APC, there are still some who, for their own separate agenda, want to ensure that Wike is not recommended to work with the APC so as not to damage the chances of the APC governorship candidate. In the event of any kind of understanding between the APC and the PDP in Rivers State, it is inconceivable that the PDP candidate (Wike’s candidate) will give way to his partner from the APC. So, the APC devotees play impossible for Wike and his former boss, Rotimi Amaechi to be together. While there is some truth in this understanding, the key factor to note is that it is all about self-interest. It has nothing to do with the people. Every politician is based on a good old question: What is it for me!

To add to the confusion that politicians have created, there is some tittle-tattle about Rotimi Amaechi having a secret meeting with Atiku Abubakar as a prelude to Amaechi’s defection back to the PDP. Although Nigerian politicians are notorious for being unprincipled, it is not believable that Amaechi would take such a step at this time. Given that he has not been active in Tinubu’s campaign, it is perhaps uncharitable to compound depression with crazy imaginings.

More than ever, journalists must be doubly careful in these dangerous times. God has not created a more desperate man than a politician seeking power. A good journalist should try not to get caught in the snare of politicians.

The G5 governors have the right to pitch their tents wherever they choose. He cannot do it secretly because he needs to expand his forces to achieve his goals. But until they do one way or another, it is simply irresponsible to join the fake news industry spreading unfounded fibs about the group and its intentions.

Nothing I’m talking about means the G5 isn’t broken or made of some idyllic cherub. They might as well go back to vomiting for all I care. Many analysts wish not to – for their own sake! And because when we enter 2023 and start the countdown to the February 25 presidential election, we will enter the night market.

Light the lantern and, as they say in Warri, “Light your eyes!”

Wole Olaoye is a public relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached through wole.olaoye@gmail.com. Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: wolula2021.