President Bola Tinubu hosted a group of influential former governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Saturday evening, sparking fresh discussions about shifting political alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting was led by the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who played a prominent role in the 2023 elections as part of the now-defunct G5 Governors—a faction of PDP members who broke away from the party leadership. Wike was accompanied by some of his closest political allies, many of whom were key players in the G5 group.
Among those present were former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and two former governors who were part of the G5: Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. The gathering has raised eyebrows in both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP, as many interpret it as a step toward realignment ahead of the next presidential election.
During the 2023 elections, Wike, then the outgoing governor of Rivers State, led the G5 in opposing the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Instead, they threw their support behind Bola Tinubu, the APC candidate, who eventually won the election. In a surprising turn of events after the election, Tinubu appointed Wike as the Minister of the FCT in August 2023, despite his PDP membership.
While the exact purpose of Saturday’s meeting was not made public, sources close to the discussions noted that the talks may have involved plans for political collaboration and future roles for the former governors within the APC-led government.
