***Reconcilation Panel Reports Recalcitrance
By: Politics Editor
This is not the best of times for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP: Nigeria’s main opposition party; no thanks to the simmering disagreement between it’s two key stakeholders: Atiku Abubakar it’s Presidential candidate and it’s main financier, Nyeson Wike.
Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President defeated Nyeson Wike, the Governor of Rivers State, during the party’s, Presidential primaries: leading to altercations between the two: with one accusing the other of being a bad loser and the other also accusing reacting to reply him of being a non-benevolent winner.
With each of the two claiming to be right, the seeming ego war has permeated the ranks of the party, with potential threats to it’s foreseeable victory in the 2023 elections.
Despite assurances from the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, that reconcilation is progressing between the party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the runner up during the party primaries, Nyeson Wike, feelers indicate that the talks may have hit the brick wall
This is even as the estranged, Governor Wike risks expulsion from the party, in the event that he continues to allegedly frustrate moves at reconciling him with Atiku Abubakar.
Chairman of the reconcilation Committee, Ahmadu Fintiri told journalists in Yola that the issues will soon be resolved.
According to him, crossing the “T”s and doting of the “I”s will soon take place and the party will emerge stronger.
Corroborating this position, spokesman of the Atiku Presidential Campaign, Daniel Bwala was quoted as telling a news channel last week that, efforts are still being intensified to iron out areas of friction between Atiku Abubakar and Nyeson Wike, and there are positive signs that everything will be okay before the election campaigns formally kicks off.
But, if the reports of what transpired between the Chairman of the PDP reconcilation Committee and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri and Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State is anything to go by; it seems the crisis in the main opposition party is rather deepening.
Reports from Portharcourt, the Rivers State Capital, where Governor Fintiri went, to confer with his Rivers State counterpart, indicate that, Governor Nyeson Wike was both recalcitrant and non committal in his responses to the committee Chairman’s offer for a truce.
Governor Wike who has been fraternizing with All Progressives Congress, APC stalwarts, in recent times has not showed any sign of reconciling with Atiku.
Rather, he takes swipes at the Presidential hopeful, often blaming people around Atiku, as the ones truncating reconcilation attempts.
Wike was quoted as telling his guests: the Governor if Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamako and Speaker of the House if Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila: all of the APC, who were in his state to commission projects, that, he can make Atiku loose the presidential elections in 2023.
Several media channels quoted the Rivers State Governor, threatening to make his state a no go area for the PDP during the campaigns and subsequent election, if things continue the way they are currently going.
Wike appeared several times on National Television threatening fire and brimstone, stressing that he will expose PDP’s secrets and work against Atiku’s Presidential ambition.
He alleged that there was a conspiracy against him by the Northern block in the PDP during the primaries, citing religious bias as the motive behind the conspiracy.
Sule Lamodo: former Governor of Jigawa State and a close ally of Atiku Abubakar, had dismissed Wike’,s allegations of a conspiracy theory, saying it was an open and transparent exercise and Wike should be a sportsman by accepting the outcome of the primary election.
While admitting that the Rivers strongman is a good party man and is very unlikely to jump ship, Lamido posited that the unity of the PDP at this point in time supercedes personal entitlements.
Wike was earlier quoted as having given very stringent conditions; which includes the resignation of the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as a precondition for reconcilation with Atiku.
The party said it is studying the conditions, especially as it affects the demand for Ayus resignation and will appropriately respond.
Investigations however reveal that other stakeholders are not comfortable with Wikes postulations, arguing that, one man cannot be a threat to the collective will of Nigerians, who they said are ready to vote for Atiku.
One if the key supporters of Atiku in Kaduna told our correspondent that Wike is only grandstanding, as the APC he is threatening to move to will further ruffle his feathers.
“The people in APc have not forgotten what Wike has been saying about them, they know what he plans to achieve by running to them. He has vowed never to associate with the APC, so we are watching him. He Wii only destroy his political career, which is better guaranteed in the PDP”, one if them argued.
In calling the Rivers State Governor’s bluff, some key members of the party called on Wike to moderate his remarks or risk the bug hammer from the party.
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