There seems to be no end in sight to the ongoing crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, insisted that the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu will not resign, appealing to the aggrieved members to retrace their steps.
The camp of the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike after a crucial meeting held in Port Harcourt, reiterated their demand for the resignation of Ayu, saying the constitution of the Presidential Campaign Council without the resolution of the crisis translates to “putting the cart before the horse.”
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Daily Trust reports that there have been calls by the camp of Wike that Ayu should step down to balance the equation in the party. The crisis rocking the party revolves around Wike, who came second during the presidential primary of the party won by Atiku.
We won’t participate in campaign – Wike’s camp
Key players in the Wike’s camp, including Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde; five former governors, Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Jonah Jang (Plateau) and Donald Duke (Cross River); National Vice Chairman (South) of the party, Chief Dan Orbih; former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, among others attended the meeting.
Reading the communiqué of the meeting, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP (South), Chief Olabode George, said they were concerned about the divisions in the party, and bemoaned the failure of the leadership to utilise the internal conflict resolution mechanisms to ensure inclusiveness of all and guarantee victory for the PDP.
“The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cart before the horse. The pertinent issue before the party remains the resolution of the Ayu leadership debacle, which is a departure from the spirit and letter of our constitution, which undermines the unity of our great party.
“We, therefore, resolve that Senator Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the national chairman of the party for an acting chairman of Southern Nigeria extraction to emerge, and lead the party on the national campaign.
“Consequently, we resolve not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Senator Iyorchia Ayu,” he said.
On his part, Makinde said they hope that the powers that be within the PDP will listen to the voice of reason and do the needful.
Others who spoke at the meeting include Senator Jonah Jang, former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana and former Governor Dankwambo, declared that they will work for the party to the extent that fairness, equity, and justice are ensured in the party.
It’s time to move on, retrace your steps – Atiku
In his swift reaction, Atiku told Wike and members of his camp that it is time to move on.
Expressing shock over the development, the former vice president urged the aggrieved chieftains to retrace their steps and join him in the efforts to rescue and rebuild the country.
“Personally, I am quite surprised with this withdrawal because, as I have been informed by officials of our party, apart from the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, all the remaining states of the federation submitted names of people who they wanted included in the Presidential Campaign Council.
“I have a plan to address these issues and I have, graciously, been given the ticket to lead our great party in next year’s presidential elections, with the singular mandate to come and lead the efforts to cure these ills. It is in this light that I have reached out to every single member of our great party to join me in the massive undertaking required to reset the ship of state and help rebuild our country.
“Every single person who loves this country, as I do, is needed for the arduous tasks that face us ahead as a nation, and this includes every member of the PDP. And it is my fervent hope and prayer that every man and woman of goodwill will join hands with us to help rebuild and reposition our beloved country,” he said in a statement he personally signed.
Atiku also said the resignation is the decision for Ayu to take, adding that “As a committed democrat and firm believer in the rule of law and democratic tenets, and our party being one set up, organised and regulated by law and our constitution, it is my absolute belief that everything that we do in our party must be done in accordance with, and conformity to, the law and our constitution.
“For the sake of our country, our children, and those yet unborn, we must not, for one minute, shirk in our responsibilities to rebuild this beloved country of ours.
“Accordingly, we must forge on with the task and the mandate that we have been bestowed with. It is time, therefore, to move on with the formidable tasks of nation building ahead of us.”
Solution coming – BoT chair
The acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Chief Adolphus Wabara, said that the party hierarchy would look into its current internal wrangling to find a lasting solution.
Wabara made the remark in Makurdi while answering questions from journalists about his team’s visit to the state and the insistence of Wike’s camp that Ayu must go.
He, however, said that there were no problems without a solution, noting that the party would look into the issues raised by the aggrieved party to come out with a decision soon.
“The Lord is in control. There is no family without problems and that is exactly why we have come, to be heard, to encourage us with suggestions. As I said earlier, there is no problem without a solution.
“We should just watch our utterances because we will all come back to the same table in the interest of Nigerians. It is only PDP that can deliver this nation; that can provide dividends of democracy like we did 16 years when we were in power.
“You know, God just asked us to give way, eight years for Nigerians to judge for themselves. Yes, they have very strong points, we will look at it as the conscience of the party and come out with a decision very soon. We will reach out to the groups. That is why we came here so that he (Ortom) will create the enabling environment for us to reach others,” Wabara said.
On his part, Governor Ortom while reacting to Wabara’s position that he will be the link between the party and Wike’s group commended the steps taken to broker peace.
Ortom said, “I have been with Wike. We are friends. We are colleagues and we share a common understanding of these issues. I commend the BoT for taking these steps because reconciliation is key. The party leadership would have deployed its internal conflict resolution mechanism long ago. Maybe because somebody else was there before but I commended this effort, reaching out and discussing, dialoguing.”
The governor when asked whether he is going to play a meditation role or stay by the side, said, “I’m an aggrieved person too and that is why they came. I’m not happy with the leadership of the party on what they are doing.”
Crisis can only benefit APC, others – Kari
Speaking on the development, an associate Professor of Political Sociology, University of Abuja, Dr Abubakar Umar Kari, said the decision of the Wike’s camp would only benefit other political parties.
“It is a huge setback for Atiku that the Wike group have decided to adopt a zero-sum stance on the crisis rocking the PDP. Their latest position clearly amounts to escalation, which the party can but ill-afford a few days to the kick-off of the 2023 general elections campaign.
“It is a classic political intimidation that gives almost no room for an amicable resolution. Atiku is now left with a very difficult, two-edged, choice of either bowing down to pressure from the group and forsaking Ayu (thereby hurting the mainstream party, which is full with the national chairman) or ignoring Wike and Co. with the attendant risks to his electoral fortunes.
“I also believe that the position of the Wike’s group is unhelpful and inimical to party discipline and cohesion, and can only benefit PDP’s rivals in the long-run,” he said.
PDP crisis gives me tribulation – Babatope
A former National Secretary of the PDP, Chief Ebenezer Babatope yesterday said the turn of events in the party ahead of the 2023 election is giving him tribulation and misery.
He called for a truce among warring parties, saying both sides should not be too harsh in their view.
Babatope, popularly known as Ebeno Topsy in a chat with Daily Trust said he found it difficult to abandon his friend, Chief Olabode George who is one of the leaders calling for the resignation of the national chairman.
He also called on Atiku to invite all the leaders to a reconciliatory meeting in order to resolve the lingering crisis.
By Ismail Mudashir, Baba Martins (Abuja), Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt), Hope A. Emmanuel (Makurdi) & Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos)
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