Crisis: PDP Moves to Reconcile All Members

By Eric Elezuo

Machineries have been set in motion for a speedy resolution to the crisis rocking the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party has been enmeshed in a muddy feud since the conclusion of its presidential primary held at the Velodrome of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

The primary has produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from Adamawa State, North East region of the country as against popular opinion of a section of the party members, who were clamouring for a candidate from the south.

At the head of the rebellion is the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who felt cheated during and after the primary election.

The primary election, against Wike’s expectation had gone the way of Atiku for the second time in a row, having also won in 2019 in Port Harcourt.

Wike’s loss amid what many described as daylight robbery was not the last straw that broke the camel’s back, but the naming of Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, as Atiku’s running mate as the 2023 political intrigues unfold. Wike had believed that the vice presidential candidate slot will automatically be given to him as compensation both for coming second in the keenly contested election, and for being a pillar of the party ‘all these years’. But that was not to be, thereby flaming the ambers of discord that has silently torn the party apart in the last couple of months.

Okowa’s choice as VP candidate was in spite of the constituted PDP selection committee, which reportedly recommended the Rivers State governor after 13 of 17 members, who attended the meeting at the PDP National Secretariat, voted in favour of Wike. At the meeting, three members voted for others, while the chairman, who can only vote when there is a tie, did not vote. And there began Wike’s silent war against Atiku and the PDP family.

But new facts have emerged following The Boss investigation as to why the presidential candidate of the party dumped Wike and choose Okowa, who he had described as fulfilling the qualities of a president and one that could complement him as a President.

The Boss has unveiled that the prelude to the quagmire that is threatening to consume the party started in August 2021, when Atiku traveled to Port Harcourt, ostensibly to seal a deal with Wike, who by all intent and purpose, is the most vocal member of the party, on a joint ticket. Wike reportedly agreed. His agreement however, betrayed the unanimous agreement of southern governors that power be shifted to the south during their meetings in May and July 2021 in Asaba and Lagos respectively.

At the Lagos meeting held on July 5, 2021, the southern governors, in a communique read by the Forum’s chairman, and Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, unanimously agreed that the next president of the country should come from the southern region in 2023.

In attendance were Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa-Ibom), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). Deputy governors who represented their states were Philip Shaibu (Edo), Placid Njoku (Imo), Oko Chukwu (Abia) and Kelechi Igwe (Ebonyi).

But beyond all the intrigues of losing the primary election as well as being sidelined in the choice of a running mate, Wike had mellowed down, and gave another condition for peace to return to the party. He, and his growing group of sympathizers including the Governors of Benue, Samuel Ortom’ Oyo, Seyi Makinde; Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu; a party chieftain, Chief Olabode George among many others, have declared that the party chairman must resign to pave way for the enthronement of a member from the south as chairman to balance the equation in hierarchy. This has been one request that has remained impossible for the party to meet, thereby raising exchange of words clothed in uncouth languages among the those involved.

However, the party has taken more newer steps to ensure that everything was settled before the campaign opens on September 28, 2022.

So on September 8, 2022, the party took a decisive step, and replaced the Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, with former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, from the southeast in a bid to balance the equilibrium.

Jibrin, who has a few months left in his tenure, was believed to have resigned after complaining about the lopsidedness in the party’s hierarchy following the emergence of Atiku Abubakar, a fellow northerner  as Presidential candidate.

But the resignation did not go down well with Wike and his camp, as the rejected the move and insisted on Ayu’s resignation. Wike said the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, told him in person when he won the May primary that Ayu must vacate his position as party chairman.

“When we finished our convention on a Saturday to Sunday, the candidate of the party (Atiku) came to see me in my house in Abuja on Monday around 10:30am…The candidate told me: ‘I want us to work together’ and then he said, ‘Look, Ayu must go’.

“I said why? He said because when a candidate comes from the north, the chairman will come from the south. And I am saying, implement what you told me. What offence have I committed? It has nothing to do with Wike; it has to do with integrity.

“I challenge the presidential candidate to deny this. If he denies this, I will go further to say so many things to Nigerians because enough is enough,” the governor said during the commissioning of the Ahoada Campus of the Rivers State University in the Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.

But then moves are ongoing for reconciliatory as the party is bent on winning the 2023 Presidential Election. On Sunday continued its reconciliatory efforts to pacify all the aggrieved parties with the top echelon of the party visiting the residence of a former Minister of Information and Orientation, Prof Jerry Gana, on Sunday, who is a staunch believer of Wike’s views

On Monday, the reconciliatory team berth in Adamawa State to confer with Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and from there proceeded to Benue State to meet Governor Samuel Ortom.

According to Wabara before the visit, “We will be going to Adamawa State… to meet with Governor Fintiri and from there we will meet with Governor Ortom. I am on the road now to meet with Prof Jerry Gana. We are trying our best to ensure that peace is achieved and victory will be ours in 2023.

“We will soothe aggrieved nerves and come with something that will be acceptable to everyone.”

He was reacting to questions on the outcome of his recent tour in the South West and whether the party would amend its constitution so soon to pave the way for the removal of the national chairman of PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.

He added, “After we met with the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, I won’t say we are making progress but we are talking to our governors and the parties concerned. We should give and take, and pacify but because I have not reported to the BoT members, I can’t make a categorical statement. We have to talk to our members and whatever we come up with will be the position of the BoT.”

The former Senate president had last week started moves to save the main opposition party from collapse.

He disclosed that he was leading a delegation of the PDP BoT, comprising some former governors, ex-deputy governors, ex-ministers and other top party chieftains to meet three of the aggrieved PDP governors within 48 hours.

Wabara is certain that a resolution acceptable to all parties will be reached, and peace restored.