₦airaland Forum

The crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might soon dissipate, following what some stakeholders termed the encouraging fallouts from Thursday’s meeting between the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar and governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

The duo, alongside some governors, had been at loggerheads since May, 2022, when Atiku emerged as the presidential candidate of the PDP. The crisis escalated after Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, was unveiled as Atiku’s running mate on June 16. Meetings between loyalists of Atiku and Wike had failed to resolve the imbroglio, with Wike throwing brickbats at the former Vice President and his camp.

At Thursday’s meeting in London, United Kingdom, governors of Abia, Benue and Oyo States accompanied Wike to the meeting, while Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, accompanied Atiku.

There were other PDP stakeholders like Donald Duke who were in attendance. Twenty hours after the meeting, scanty details have emerged on what transpired. An ally of Atiku who’s familiar with the available outcome of the meeting, said both sides conceded grounds, particularly Atiku.

He said Atiku was able to prevail on Wike and other aggrieved governors to suspend their push for the removal of the national chairman of the PDP Iyorchia Ayu, until elections are conducted next year. He said Atiku hinged his argument on the dangers it will pose to the success of the PDP during next year’s elections.

The source said though Wike and his allies didn’t fully commit to the request, they might soft-pedal on their agitation for now. He revealed that Wike demanded some key positions for his camp when Atiku forms his cabinet if he emerges winner in next year’s presidential election.

The top PDP member, who also declined to reveal details of the deal, said Atiku agreed to the terms, but also demanded that Wike and PDP governors must play their part in ensuring that the party wins next year’s presidential elections. It was further gathered that Wike expressed misgivings about the attitude of Atiku’s supporters, who have been accused of fuelling the crisis.

“Wike mentioned their names and asked Atiku the roles the people have played since they left office in supporting the PDP,” the source said.

On the formation of the Presidential Campaign Organisation, the source said one of the governors from the South would be appointed as Director-General soon. He said it wasn’t clear if Wike has accepted the position to lead the campaign.

Giving more details, he said Wike and other governors secured a commitment from Atiku not to repeat the mistakes of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which has no regard for Federal Character.

His words: “Wike and other governors were clear on that. They told Atiku that the South was supposed to get the ticket. They told him that now that he has got the ticket, the South must get key positions in the National Assembly. “The North can’t have the position of the President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Secretary to the Government of the Federation. APC did that in 2015. PDP must not repeat that mistake. That was part of what Wike told Atiku,” the source added. The PDP member said: “APC has been fuelling this crisis. They were happy when the crisis was festering. They didn’t want it to end. They must be licking their wounds now.

“Many thought Atiku wasn’t ready to make peace with Wike. That has been settled now. The crisis is not over yet, but the PDP has made serious progress.

“Unknown to many people, both Atiku and Wike’s camps settled for a neutral ground to hold this meeting. It was brokered by Adamawa State Governor, Fintiri, who is a close friend to both Wike and Atiku.

“That was how they arrived at London being the best venue. There were too many talks in Nigeria already and they didn’t want that. When they return, more meetings will be held. One thing is now sure and that’s the fact that no PDP governor or members will defect. PDP will go into this election as a united family.

“The next phase of the reconciliation will shock many Nigerians. Peter Obi is still a close ally of Atiku. There will be surprises in the coming weeks if on-going talks pan out well.

“I also suspect that the party may hold its National Executive Committee meeting before the campaigns will start in September. For now, we just have to wait and see.”

In a chat with our correspondent, spokesman for Atiku Campaign Organisation, Senator Dino Melaye, told Saturday Sun that all issues would be resolved. He also boasted that no governor elected on the PDP platform would ditch the party. Melaye said: “I can authoritatively tell you that no PDP governor will leave the party. It is one thing to woo people; it is another thing to get them. “They’re wasting their time. Nobody will leave the party.”

Meanwhile Saturday Sun gathered that the Atiku/ Wike London parley has created panic among supporters of the PDP national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu. The national chairman’s men, who are also Atiku’s supporters, it was learnt, were shocked that Atiku could travel all the way to London to meet with Wike and his men.

Also, a statement by Atiku through his media aide, Paul Ibe, on Thursday, cautioning his supporters against making inflammatory comments that will jeopardise the unity of the party, it was gathered has heightened tension in the camp of the PDP chairman.

A highly placed party source told Saturday Sun that Ayu’s supporters, including a former North West governor, interpreted Atiku’s ‘London meeting with Wike and the statement cautioning his supporters against inflammatory statements, as a sign that Atiku wants to ditch the camp.

In the aftermath of the London meeting, Ayu, it was gathered has started making frantic efforts to mobilize some stakeholders to support him. The source said, barring any last minute change of plan, Ayu and some members of the NWC will be in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, today, to felicitate the wife of the governor on her birthday. The planned Benue trip, according to the source, is intended to serve as an avenue for a rapprochement between the Wike camp and the national chairman.

He said: “They are planning to visit Benue under the guise of felicitating the wife of the governor on the occasion of her birthday. But the Benue visit is just an opportunity for them to reach out to the pro-Wike governors, especially Ortom, as part of peace building efforts.”

Kwanza:
■PDP candidate to concede key cabinet, NASS positions ■Downplays calls for Ayu’s replacement

Details have emerged from the meeting on Thursday between the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the camp of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, over the crisis in the main opposition party.

The meeting was held over dinner in London at the Park Lane Carlton Hotel. Those from Mr Wike’s side at the meeting included Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri accompanied the candidate.

It came hours after the Wike camp had met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi. Earlier on Monday, the camp had also had a parley with the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, who like Mr Obi was trying to reap from the crisis in the PDP.

PREMIUM TIME’s sources at the meeting with Atiku said the Wike camp told Atiku that it would only negotiate with him for its support if the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, steps down and is replaced by a candidate from a southern zone of the country.

Speaking on behalf of the group, one of the governors said the condition was to ensure that the party corrects the lopsidedness in its leadership before the campaigns begin and that it was in line with a pledge Mr Ayu made before he was elected by consensus at the party’s national convention last year.

The governor also accused Mr Ayu of polarising the PDP. He said contrary to the description of Mr Ayu by Atiku as the unifier of the PDP, the former Senate President is allegedly the most divisive figure to have occupied the party’s top office.

He said rather than seeking reconciliation of many aggrieved members of the party across the country, Mr Ayu had allegedly created new decisions with his aloofness and divisive leadership.

The group said Atiku needs to correct the imbalance in the PDP to demonstrate his willingness and capacity to unite Nigeria if he becomes president.

In his response to the remarks, our source said Atiku acknowledged that the party’s leadership is lopsided but said the provisions of its constitution mean that the anomaly could not be corrected through the resignation of the National Chairman.

According to the source, Atiku pointed out that the PDP constitution stipulates that the Deputy National Chairman from the home region of the National Chairman would step in if the office of the National Chairman becomes vacant.

But the Wike camp interjected to recall that a former national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, had resigned from the position in 2011 following the election of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Deputy National Chairman from his region was overlooked in filling the vacancy.

After much back and forth, Atiku reportedly said he would consult and revert to the group.

According to our source, the meeting did not discuss the grievances peculiar to Mr Wike and other members of his group, insisting that the resignation of Mr Ayu was their condition for opening negotiation with Atiku.

Our source denied reports that Atiku had made some concessions to the group, stressing that the only issue discussed at the meeting was the condition that the group gave for any negotiations with Atiku.

The PDP has been rocked by the face-off between Atiku and Mr Wike over the outcome of the party’s presidential primaries and Atiku’s nomination of Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.

Mr Wike had accused Mr Ayu of manipulating the process to help Atiku beat him and was further infuriated after Atiku overlooked him in his choice of his running mate.

The two leaders had held two previous meetings and had also agreed to constitute a reconciliation committee to look at the issues in their quarrel, but those efforts did not yield fruits.

It is believed that the conflict has held back Atiku from constituting his campaign council, as he wants to unite the party towards the general election and assign Mr Wike a major role in his electioneering.

FreeStuffsNG:
It is from Sun newspaper. I will wait till I read it from other media platforms

chrisxxx:
Two conditions for Atiku to choose one.
Ayu resigns or Okowa resigns.

RaptObserver:
If Ayu resigns it will affect the PDP in the election. If Okowa resigns who will they pick? Maybe Udom Emmanuel cos to me that is the right person for Atiku. But let us see

chrisxxx:
No. Atiku most concede either the Chairman or VP position to Wikes camp. He can't have it all. Secondly Okowa as VP us a reward for betrayal. Okowa called Wike into the race and ended up selling out Wike. Having him as the VP is a reward for betraying his people.

RaptObserver:
If not for money I don't know why Atiku picked Okowa cos he is not even the best performing PDP governor. I was expecting Atiku to pick Udom or Makinde as for Wike he won't have picked him for obvious reasons. But the current PDP chairman has experience and it will be needed in election.

chrisxxx:
You are right. Like I said it was a reward for betrayal. I wouldn't support him picking Wike. But for the obvious polarity in the party Atiku would have brought Wike in by asking him to make a choice of vice for him. Buhari did the same when it was obvious he wouldn't use Tinubu. Until this is balance it won't end well.

RaptObserver:
That would have been a good move and Wike would have felt important. Actually Atiku looked down on Wike very well. If not for the fast rise of Obi in the polity Atiku would not have gone to Wike. Because he felt the anger against APC was enough to win the election.

Lec25:
God bless the incoming president
God bless H.E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
God bless federal replic of Nigeria