Reports hitting the desk of Africa Today News, New York has it that the committee established to resolve the dispute between Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, and Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, are set to meet on Friday to hold make or mar negotiations.
According to information obtained on Tuesday, the location of the meeting between Wike’s team and Atiku’s delegation was still to be determined.
According to Wike’s camp, the meeting would take place in Port Harcourt, however, an Atiku ally maintained that they would meet in Abuja.
The meeting, which was previously billed to take place on Monday, did not materialize because several stakeholders from Atiku’s camp who were key to the negotiation process were unavailable, according to a senior member of Wike’s team who spoke to journalists on Tuesday.
The insider did point out that the meeting had been moved to Friday in an effort to appease angered stakeholders in the PDP’s best interest.
According to the insider, ‘We were ready for the meeting but it was members from the Atiku camp that didn’t show up at the meeting venue. The members said they didn’t show up because they were busy receiving defectors from the All Progressives Congress in Yola.’
‘We were told that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who should have led members of the reconciliation committee in Atiku’s camp to the meeting, was the chief host during the defection of APC members in Yola. But they have indicated interest to show up for the meeting on Friday.’
The whistleblower did point out that representatives from Atiku’s camp would not be meeting with the governor of Rivers State, Mr. Wike
‘When members of Atiku’s reconciliation committee come to Rivers State for the meeting, they will be meeting members of Wike’s committee. Whatever agreement that we reach would be detailed in a report that would be submitted to both Atiku and Wike.’
‘After Atiku and Wike review the agreement and accept the conditions therein, another meeting involving Wike and Atiku will be held for the reconciliation to materialize in the interest of the party,’ the source stated.
Members of the reconciliation committee, according to a credible source in Atiku’s camp, have consented to convene in Abuja.
It was learned that a disagreement over the location prevented the meeting from taking place on Monday as originally planned.
A source stated, ‘The meeting was earlier billed to hold on Monday but it was shelved due to disagreement on the choice of venue. While Wike’s representatives on the panel wanted the meeting to hold in Port Harcourt, the representatives of the PDP presidential candidate felt Port Harcourt is not an ideal location. But now, both parties have resolved that Abuja is where the parley should hold and they have agreed to meet this Friday.’
Africa Today News, New York had earlier reported that Ifeanyi Okowa’s appointment as Atiku’s running mate sparked a disagreement between the two politicians after the governor of Rivers State’s quest to serve as the party’s vice-presidential candidate for the general elections of 2023 was fruitless.