As the walls of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continue to crack, Atiku Abubakar, the party’s Presidential candidate, Wednesday jetted to London to reconcile the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his faction.
Wike who is currently in London, had led his team made up of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde had met Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, in London on Tuesday.
Relationships between Atiku and Wike became frosty in June this year, shortly after Atiku picked Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.
Read also
- Atiku’s Presidency: I am fasting and praying- Ortom replies
- Atiku Names Okowa as Running Mate for 2023 general elections
- I Will withdraw if PDP Zones Presidency to North- Gov Wike
Many PDP members had expected that Atiku would pick Wike as his running mate, especially with the recommendation of the Committee set up to select the party’s Vice Presidential candidate, favoring Wike for the job.
Straightnews learned that following the disagreement, Wike and some party men have called for resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman as well as asked Atiku to pen that if won the Presidency, he would rule for one term.
Even the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Walid Jibrin had called for Ayu’s resignation, stating that it was unfair for the North to hold major positions in the party.
Another stalwart, Bode George has joined the strident calls in asking Ayu to resign for the sake of equity and justice.
However, PDP State Chairmen have rejected calls by some aggrieved party members for the resignation of Ayu, warning Atiku not to sacrifice Ayu on the altar of politics.
BusinessDay gathered from a source close to Atiku late Wednesday, that Atiku’s camp has been unhappy over the party’s inability to resolve the crises which had deepened recently, with the agitations for the removal of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
BusinessDay source noted that Wike and Atiku had remain good friends despite the problems “There is nothing wrong for the former Vice President to personally wade into the matter. After all, Atiku and Wike have remain friends despite the challenges”
The party had earlier on Wednesday held a stakeholders meeting where the Governorship candidates were in attendance, ahead of the preparations for the campaigns.
The Party National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, speaking after the stakeholders meeting, revealed that the candidates used the opportunity to brief the party on the situation within their states, as well as express their concerns in their various states.
“They briefed us on the efforts they are making in their various states to win the elections and as you know, the elections will be won in the states not just at the national level.
Ayu who expressed happiness with the progress that have been made so far in various states, added that “some of the little issues raised have been clarified and it was an extremely useful meeting.
“So we are happy that the members of the party are very determined that we don’t just win at the national level, but States Assembly, National Assembly and state governorship.
“We want to return about 25 state governors or more as we used to have. So the mood in the party is excellent.
Wike fires Lamido
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike has fired back at former Governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido over a comment he made about him.
Recall that Lamido had in an interview with Channels Television, said Wike has no monopoly over Rivers electorates and shouldn’t feel he’s an emperor as he was just elected like other Governors before him.
Reacting to this in a statement released by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, Wike stated that Lamido has no electoral value as Peoples Democratic Party lost Jigawa state under his watch.
He also averred that Lamido and his cohorts played an “ignoble role” that caused the PDP’s defeat in 2015 and 2019 in Jigawa.
The statement reads “It is rather appalling that at a time when concerted efforts are being made by lovers of true democracy and the unity of the party, to resolve some inherent contradictions plaguing the PDP, Alhaji Lamido and his cohorts, who have since lost their relevance in the polity, are busy creating friction and schism.
“Governor Wike has never claimed to be the custodian of the over 3 million votes in Rivers State. But as the leader of the PDP and good people of Rivers State, anyone who underrates the governor’s political pedigree or dares to ignore his influence in the State and beyond will be doing so at his own peril.
“We wish to remind Alhaji Lamido that governor Wike has never left anyone in doubt about his capacity to sway the voters in Rivers State in a direction that benefits the people and the State. In overall, when he speaks, Rivers people will listen, no doubt.
“Perhaps, Alhaji Lamido thinks Nigerians are suffering from selective amnesia to have forgotten in a hurry, the ignoble role he and his cohorts played between 2014 and 2015, that culminated in the defeat of the PDP in the 2015 general election.
“We hope that he is not up in such a scheme again to cause a repeat of that history. Otherwise, if Alhaji Lamido has any modicum of conscience, he won’t be making disparaging comments about governor Wike, whom many have described as the pillar of the PDP since 2015.
“We wish to state without equivocation that no well-meaning member of the PDP will describe governor Wike as ‘insignificant’ in the affairs of the PDP. With all modesty, only persons plagued by schizophrenia psychosis will ascribe any form of relevance to Alhaji Lamido, under whose leadership the PDP has woefully lost two governorship elections in Jigawa State in quick succession.
“Under Lamido’s watch, as a governor of Jigawa State in 2015, the APC governorship candidate, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, scored a total 648,045 votes to defeat his PDP opponent, Malam Aminu Ringim, who scored a total 479, 447 votes. Worst still, in 2019, governor Abubakar polled 810,933, while the PDP candidate scored 288,356.
“Such records depict that Alhaji Lamido cannot and does not have such a political following that will benefit the PDP. Those who want electoral victory for the PDP are not dampening the morale required for a political offensive at APC, but Alhaji Lamido is cracking the wall of unity badly.
“So, as the 2023 general elections beckon, we wish to advise Alhaji Lamido to redeem his battered political image by delivering Jigawa State to the PDP, if he can.”
