Reports reaching the desk of Africa Today News, New York has it that the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike have set up a 14-member committee that is expected to hold a make or mar meeting today (Monday).
The objective of this committee is to analyse the likelihood of reconciliation between the two politicians.
Mr. Wike and Atiku had agreed to raise the committee when they met last Thursday in Abuja at Jerry Gana’s residence, former Minister of Information and National Orientation
At the meeting last week, which was the first time they sat together since Atiku disregarded Governor Wike and selected Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as vice presidential candidate, the two leaders decided on a blueprint to find the solution to their acrimony.
They also agreed that the committee would evaluate the resentments of Mr. Wike and the party leaders in his camp and make suggestions on how Atiku and the PDP leadership would deal with the matters.
There had been concerns about last week’s meeting between the two leaders languished following contentious statements that kept going to springing from Mr. Wike after the parley.
The governor had also continued his public coalition with leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), increasing the beliefs that he had decided to defect to the APC or work for its candidate, Bola Tinubu, in next year’s presidential election.
A former senator, Lee Maeba, had also accused Mr. Wike of sanctioning him and two other leaders of the PDP in Rivers – former Governor Celestine Omehia and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, allegedly for meeting with Atiku in Abuja.
Reports emerged amidst tension that Mr. Wike had sued Atiku and Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto State Governor, and requested that the Federal High Court should invalidate Atiku’s candidacy and declare home the flag bearer of the PDP.
However, at a ceremony for the commissioning of newly built residential quarters for members of the state House of Assembly in Port Harcourt which Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and Mr. Wike attended saying he wasn’t responsible for the lawsuit and implicated his political rival of mischievously connecting him to the case.
According to reports, Mr. Wike said he hasn’t revoked the reconciliation motions with Atiku, as he had set up the seven representatives of his camp into the committee.
Those he selected include former Governors Segun Mimiko of Ondo State, Donald Duke of Cross Rivers and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe; a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke; and a former member of the House of Representatives, Nnena Ukeje.
From his camp, Atiku named a former Senate President, David Mark; Adamawa State Governor Umaru Fintiri, a former Cross River Governor, Liyel Imoke; a former PDP governorship candidate in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede; and former Senator Ben Obi. Our source could not immediately recall the two other names submitted by each side.
However, the major demand of the Wike camp is the resignation of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, whom it considered a biased ally of Atiku. They said Mr. Ayu’s resignation is important in dealing with the disagreement in the party’s leadership.
The group was referring to Mr. Ayu, Atiku, as well as the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Jibrin Wakil and the chairman of the PDP governors’ forum, Mr. Tambuwal; all coming from the northern part of the country, saying the lopsidedness will make it difficult for them to campaign for the party for the presidential election.
Although Mr. Ayu has offered to resign after the presidential election next year, the Wike group believes he wouldn’t leave the seat if party loses the presidential election, hence the demand that he resigns instantly.