Emmanuel Jonathan, media aide to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, has declared support for the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, dumping his Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar.
Jonathan, a special assistant to the governor on new media, disclosed this through a statement made public on Wednesday
Ugwuanyi is among the five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as the G-5
The G-5 is led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Apart from Wike and Ugwuanyi, other members of the G-5 are Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and their Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde.
The G-5 came about after the PDP presidential primary where Atiku Abubakar defeated Wike and others to become the party’s presidential candidate.
The group has been demanding the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to pave the way for a southerner to lead the party in its bid to ensure a “regional balance” of power.
The governors argue that both Ayu and Atiku hail from northern part of Nigeria.
Although the five governors have not announced the presidential candidate they would support in the February 25 election, there are speculations that their body language suggests they may switch their support for Peter Obi.
Yet some political analysts guess they may back Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But Jonathan has become the first political appointee in Governor Ugwuanyi’s government to openly endorse the LP candidate.
He is expected to lead one of Obi’s campaign groups, Obi/Datti Apostles Presidential Campaign Support Group.