Politics

Worries In PDP As Wike Gives Tough Conditions, Romances With APC

Published

3 years ago

August 13, 2022

Governor Nyesom Wike

Even though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike met in Abuja with a view to finding a lasting solution to the ongoing crisis rocking the party, the meeting was yet to achieve anything.

Instead of solutions, tempers seem to have flared since the two top opposition figures met at the residence of the former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, in Abuja.

Daily Trust Saturday reliably gathered at the weekend that Atiku’s camp may have resorted to working towards the 2023 general elections without the support of the Rivers governor, especially following his recent romance with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Some party stakeholders loyal to the former vice president and the candidate of the PDP were said to have held a meeting with some PDP stalwarts from Rivers State. Some of those touted to have attended the meeting were former governor of the state Celestine Omehia, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Austin Opara and Senator Leo Maeba.

Worried by the development, the Rivers governor responded by striping the politicians of any garb of political paraphernalia in the state. While Maeba was removed as the Chairman of the governing board of the state owned Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Austin Opara and Celestine Omehia were removed as leaders of the PDP in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area and Ikwerre Local Government Area respectively.

The removal of the top leaders of the party from their positions, Daily Trust Saturday learnt, was as a result of their alleged secret romance with Atiku. The trio were said to have attended several meetings with Atiku without “clearance” from Governor Wike.

The thinking among those close to Atiku, Daily Trust Saturday learnt, was that some of these politicians could be used to divide the votes in the state in the event that the peace overtures by the Atiku camp fail to yield any positive result.

After the meeting between Atiku and Wike, a source familiar with what transpired explained that the members of the board blamed Ayu for allowing the crisis to fester when he travelled abroad and also allegedly openly took sides with Atiku Abubakar before, during and after the presidential primary.

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He said: “How can the National Chairman of the party visit an aspirant a day or two after the primary and hail him for stepping down for the eventual winner and even calling him the hero of the convention, which means he wanted only one person to win. How do you expect the other aspirants that lost the contest to feel? Will they be happy?”

Findings by Daily Trust however shows that the Campaign Council may soon be set up as the party hierarchy were said to be disenchanted by the antics of the Rivers State governor in spite of their peace efforts.

Instead of working for peace, Wike has invited at least three top ruling party chieftains to commission projects in his state.

The governor had invited his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwolu, former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to commission different projects executed by his administration in the state.

Reacting to the governor’s political activities, Senator Maeba, an ally of Atiku, said the dissolution of the governing board of the polytechnic was as a result of his closeness to Atiku.

He said, “Wike is not hiding that he is fighting Atiku. He called a meeting of Ogoni people who are with him and told them to tell me that he will see how I will campaign for Atiku in this state and he is ready to fight to the finish.

“We don’t know what he (Wike) is planning to do because when campaigns start, we are qualified to campaign too. We are waiting to see how he will do it. This is a joke taken too far.”

Senator Maeba also confirmed the removal of former Governor Celestine Omehia and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Austin Opara, as leaders of their party in Ikwerre and Port Harcourt City LGAs.

“Yes, he (Wike) called them and humiliated them before their people because we went to pay a solidarity visit to Atiku which we are supposed to do.

“All of us knew Atiku before him. Austin Opara has been in the House of Representatives since 1999. He was the deputy speaker when Atiku was Vice-President. That time Wike was struggling to be local government chairman. So, if Austin Opara has to take permission from him today to go and see Atiku, then something is wrong,” he stated.

On the allegations of politicians holding meetings in Abuja against Wike, he said “When you apportion so much right to yourself, then you are superhuman. Austin Opara was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives when Atiku Abubakar was the Vice President. They attended caucus meetings together and National Economic Council Meeting.

“So, does it mean that Austin Opara who has been friends with Atiku for over 20 years ago will now start to beg Wike to go and see Atiku? So, he (Wike) is the one who doesn’t have respect for citizens.

“Like me, I met Atiku first in 1992 in Jos for the SDP campaigns. We started working together in 2003 when I became Senator. That time where was he (Wike)? When Austin Opara was working with Atiku, holding meetings, Wike was struggling to come to limelight.”

Meanwhile, the peace talk was said to have broken down over Wike’s insistence that the National Chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, must go amidst other conditions.

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Among the list of conditions by the Wike Camp which met on Sunday 31st of July to harmonize their position was that the National Chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, must vacate his seat for a southern chairman to take over and give the party a semblance of national outlook, but Ayu and his people are said to be strongly opposed to leaving his seat.

According to Wike’s camp, the party had been hijacked by Northerners as the Presidential candidate, National Chairman, Chairman BoT and the chairman PDP Governors forum were all from the North, a development they were not pleased with.

Reacting to the efforts towards resolving the crisis, especially the call by Wike’s men that Ayu should vacate his seat, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba said: “The National Working Committee led by Ayu is united. I also believe the party is happy with him,” adding that anything contrary is in the realm of fake news.

He said “When you have a family it does not mean absence of disagreement, but your capacity to take care of those disagreements makes the difference, that is why the PDP is a party.”

Also speaking on the protests against the National Chairman to vacate his seat because he has allegedly taken sides and lacks the capacity to lead the party to victory in 2023, Debo said, “We are a party of law and order and when you have a situation like that, you must be willing to hear people out. We take every view seriously because conflict resolution is a marathon, it is not a one hundred meter dash.

“We have a robust internal dispute settling mechanism. We are satisfied with the progress we are making; it is slow but surely, we will get there. We are committed to the interest of the party and more importantly the interest of Nigerians and we are on course.

Also, a member of the party close to the presidential candidate, told Daily Trust that though Atiku and Wike have met, it only marks the beginning of the reconciliation process and the road to peace.

He insisted that “many people don’t really understand how difficult mediation is, especially political mediation. All the parties must have faith in the process. Apart from that, everybody is watching and they can misinterpret your genuine intention and accuse you of partisanship and taking sides. But we are hopeful that the differences will be resolved soon,” he said.

Reacting to the situation, Rivers State Publicity Secretary of APC, Chris Finebone, said the party is not surprised about Wike’s move because “it is a fact already known to many politicians and observers that Gov. Wike was thrown into his present panic mode ever since he failed in his desperate attempt to secure the presidential and later vice presidential tickets of his party in order to cover up financial and other atrocities he committed over the past 10 years as Minister of state for Education and presently governor of Rivers State for two terms, ending May 29, 2023.”

He said, “Governor Nyesom Wike’s predicament has not been helped by the inconclusive outcome of his offer to work for the Presidential Candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, in exchange for a safe landing and protection after the 2023 general election, having been convinced that Tinubu will defeat Atiku Abubakar of his party, the PDP.”

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Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

Published

2 days ago

March 23, 2025

Trends Admin

Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau

Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has cast doubt on the ability of a newly formed opposition coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.

Shekarau described the alliance, which includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as a gathering of individuals with personal political ambitions rather than a structured and unified opposition front.

His remarks came just two days after the coalition’s formation was announced, with the stated goal of challenging Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Sule Yau, Shekarau remarked, “This is just a gathering of certain individuals with political ambitions; none of them has officially consulted their party leadership.”

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He further argued that a coalition featuring prominent figures does not necessarily equate to an effective political alliance.

“The coalition of opposition figures is a good development, as seen in their recent meeting under what they call an opposition alliance. However, none of the key figures involved represents their party leadership,” Shekarau stated.

Emphasizing the legal framework for political mergers, he pointed out that only registered parties could formally unite, making the recent gathering an informal arrangement rather than an officially recognized coalition.

Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

Politics

PDP gives condition to back Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai in 2027

Published

2 days ago

March 23, 2025

Trends Admin

Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi

PDP gives condition to back Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai in 2027

Although the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hasn’t made its official position known on the coalition being put together by some key leaders of the opposition to wrestle power from the ruling party at the federal level, All Progressives Congress (APC), and President Bola Tinubu ahead of 2027, Sunday Vanguard understands that the PDP may join forces with them on one condition: The process will not lead to its loss of identity.

The PDP was in power for 16 years before the APC dislodged it from the Presidential Villa in 2015 when then-incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan lost reelection to former President Buhari.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, had, last week, announced his decision to join the coalition with other members of opposition parties to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

Atiku was responding to a call by a former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El-Rufai, to key members of opposition parties in the country to come together and fight Tinubu and APC in 2027.

El-Rufai had made the call while dumping the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In his response, the former PDP presidential candidate confirmed that he, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, and El-Rufai, among others, had kick-started a movement aimed at defeating Tinubu’s APC in the 2027 elections.

He spoke at a press conference organized by Nigeria’s key opposition leaders and political stakeholders to discuss the President’s controversial declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State.

When journalists asked whether the emerging coalition would be the major opposition force against the APC in 2027, Atiku did not mince words.
“Yes,” he declared.

Clarity

Sources within the PDP told Sunday Vanguard at the weekend that the party will expect the former presidential candidate to give clarity to his decision soon.

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A member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter was “yet to be discussed at the official level,” said, “We expect him to shed more light on his decision as we proceed.

“For now, he is still a high ranking member of our party the PDP.

“We have been following his public statements and engagements and he hasn’t announced to anyone that he is leaving or has left our party.

“Yes, he left the party on two previous occasions over the past two decades -first to join Tinubu’s Action Congress (AC) to contest the 2007 presidential election; and in 2013 or thereabouts to join others to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Note, however, that on each of these occasions he returned to the PDP.

“Now, whether he is planning to leave to join others or he wants others to come join us to beat the APC rigging machine in 2027, only he can explain. “For now, from my interactions with members of his team, one thing is clear, this time around, Atiku’s move is a strategic step towards unifying opposition forces against the ruling APC.

‘Significant shift’

“His announcement of the formation of a coalition signals a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, as opposition leaders seek to present a united front against the current administration.

“The proposed coalition is expected to bring together key political parties and stakeholders, including prominent figures like Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

“It’s worth noting that Atiku’s decision might not be universally accepted within the PDP, as some members may have different opinions on the best strategy to challenge the APC in 2027.

“Nevertheless, Atiku’s move demonstrates his commitment to opposing the current administration and his willingness to work with other opposition parties to achieve this goal.”

Identity

The party chieftain further explained that a majority of leaders and members of the PDP are resolute in their desire to ensure that the party retains its identity.

According to him, a former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, spoke the minds of most leaders and members of the PDP when he dismissed El-Rufai’s call to dump the party and join the SDP.

Lamido said in an interview, “The party we formed, the PDP, is the one that gave birth to El-Rufai. You’re not enough to make us leave the PDP.

“He (El-Rufai) once said that there are no elders in Nigerian politics, but now he is calling on us to join him in the SDP.”

Lamido equally questioned El-Rufai’s motive for dumping the APC for the SDP and his motivation for seeking power.

“Leadership is done with patience and vision, and doing things for the peace of the followers and the country as a whole”, he said.

While restating his loyalty to the PDP, Lamido said the party which he helped to form hasn’t done anything wrong to warrant him leaving to join another.

His views resonated with another leader and foundation member of the PDP, Chief Bode George, who has told whoever cares to listen that he is in the PDP to stay.

PDP gives condition to back Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai in 2027

Vanguard

Politics

PDP crisis over secretary lingers despite Supreme Court ruling

Published

3 days ago

March 22, 2025

Trends Admin

PDP crisis over secretary lingers despite Supreme Court ruling

The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, delivered on 20 December 2024, which affirmed the removal of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a unanimous judgment by a five-member panel, the apex court ruled that matters concerning the leadership or membership of a political party are internal affairs and should not be subject to judicial intervention. The court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter initially brought by Aniagwu Emmanuel.

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However, the judgment, expected to bring an end to the crisis, has left the PDP leadership and members in disarray, as both parties in the suit—Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye—are claiming victory. The development threatens to disrupt the fragile peace the party has enjoyed since its organs unanimously endorsed Sunday Ude-Okoye following the High Court’s ruling in Enugu.