Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (right) and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (left),
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, (BoT), headed by Walid Jibrin, will hold a meeting today in Abuja. This is to find a way to unite the party with Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State and all aggrieved members of the party. The outcome of today’s meeting will determine whether PDP will go into the 2023 elections with a united front or as a divided house against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties.
This will go beyond sending emissaries to Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State who has been angry about his loss of the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidacy of the party.
According to Jibrin, the Presidential primary elections had caused “ unnecessary confusion among some PDP members”
“ I want to assure everyone that all plans are on the ground to bring all members together as one and united, as what is happening in PDP can never be compared with the situation in APC, especially with their plans in trying to bring Religious issues of Muslim-Muslim President and Vice President.”
He disclosed that some groups are already coming up with efforts to solve the issues around Governor Okowa’s emergence as vice-president candidate of the party.
Jibrin acknowledged the peace efforts of “some former governors of the party and the current governors, some BoT members and elders including prof Jerry Gana, the chief spokesman of the group of Governor Nyesom Wike.”
“The group aims to reconcile the aggrieved, especially, Wike,
“Interestingly the BoT the highest advisory body and the conscience of the party is meeting [today] to discuss the issues accordingly by coming up with strong recommendations with the special committee for the special reconciliation of aggrieved members especially, Governor Wike
“After the BoT meeting, we will meet with Atiku and Wike and all aggrieved members and all past presidential Aspirants. It is my prayers as Chairman of BoT that the PDP will remain strongest and win all elections in 2023”
Wike, on Sunday, met with PDP governors and other stakeholders of the party at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro in Abuja. They gave conditions for peace to reign. The National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu should, according to them, leave office. The group also wanted Atiku to sign an undertaking that he would spend only one term in office. Another demand was that “all members of the Wike team will be considered for appointment should the party win the presidential election next year.”
Those who attended the meeting included Governors Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). Others were former governors Donald Duke (Cross River), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi) and Jonah Jang (Plateau). Philip Aduda, Senate minority leader, and some members of the PDP National Assembly caucus were there.