•Chairman’s case splits NWC, crisis gets messier
•Some ex-presidential aspirants absent at meeting with Atiku
•Party’s candidate meets Gana, Niger stakeholders
•Nobody can stop our stand against injustice, Wike, Makinde Insist
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, presided the party’s national caucus meeting last night in Abuja, an indication that the dark cloud hanging over his job might have been lifted, at least for now.
There had been moves for Ayu’s removal of late.
But the embattled PDP chair was seen walking with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and laughing after the meeting held at Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
A few protesters outside the venue of the caucus meeting carried anti-Ayu placards and chanted, “Ayu must go. There must be justice in PDP.”
Details of the engagement were not known at the time of filing this report.
However, briefing newsmen after the meeting, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said, “We are ready to go. Members of the campaign council will be announced on Thursday (today), after the NEC meeting.”
On why most of the governors were absent at the caucus meeting, Ologunagba said, “Some of them were on holiday, outside the country. They were represented by their deputies.”
The plot to remove Ayu by some southern members of the party had thickened before the caucus meeting, compounding the discontent within the main opposition party.
The intrigues, which continued ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party today, had also factionalised the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP along the north and south divides.
Many of the former presidential aspirants of the party did not turn up for a meeting with Atiku. Though, the former vice president later met with former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana, and Niger State PDP stakeholders.
Nonetheless, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, yesterday, insisted that no one could stop them from demanding justice in the party.
At the PDP NWC meeting yesterday, where some of the items on the agenda for the NEC and national caucus meetings were prepared, it was learnt that the NWC members from the south moved against Ayu and insisted he must resign.
But Ologunagba quickly debunked the story, and said there was no time during the meeting that Ayu was asked to resign, “It never took place.”
Rather, he said, the NWC resolved to get involved in the resolution of the crisis.
However, THISDAY was reliably informed that at the pre-NEC meeting, held at the national headquarters of the party, the NWC members from the south asked Ayu to resign as they had lost confidence in his leadership.
On Tuesday night, southern members of the NWC, led by Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, held a meeting at his residence, where they insisted that Ayu must be removed.
The same Tuesday, Deputy National Chairman (North) of the party, Umar Damagum, allegedly, met with some members at Wadata Plaza, where they, allegedly, countered the plot to remove Ayu.
The outcome of the two meetings had led to yesterday’s meeting of the northern and southern members of the NWC to finalise their position on Ayu, which would either be a vote of no confidence or a vote of confidence on him.
A PDP governor from the North-east, as Atiku, was alleged to be financing the move to remove Ayu.
But Atiku had yet to show interest in Ayu’s removal, and had been protecting him, a source said, adding that Atiku has developed cold feet on the matter.
The NEC and national caucus meetings had main two agenda. First, was to debate Ayu’s continued stay in office and, second, the ratification of the party’s national campaign council.
The national caucus comprises all PDP governors, all members who are former presidents, former vice presidents, ex-senate presidents, and other presiding officers of the National Assembly, former national chairmen of the party as well as members of the NWC.
It is an important organ of the party, as most decisions reached at the caucus meeting are merely ratified at the NEC meeting, which will hold today.
The national caucus is chaired by the incumbent national chairman of the party. But some governors and stakeholders had objected to Ayu chairing the meeting. In his place, they wanted the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku, the national leader of PDP, to preside.
A series of meetings were held earlier to decide whether Ayu should be allowed to preside. If he had not been allowed to preside, then, it would be assumed that he had lost his position to the removal plot. He survived, however, having presided.
Those at the national caucus meeting, which started about 7.20pm, were former Deputy National chairman, Chief Bode George; Atiku and Nnamadi Sambo; Ayu; Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin and former Senate President Adolphus Wabara.
Others were former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; deputy governors of Edo and Adamawa states, Philip Shaibu and Professor Kalatepwa Farauta, respectively, former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi; former Minister of Police Affairs, Maina Waziri; Governor of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri; Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed; and National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba; Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu; former Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha; and Stella Omu, among others.
The host governor, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, was not in attendance. Other PDP governors, who could not make the meeting, were Wike, Makinde, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, and the governor of Taraba State, Daruus Ishiaku.
The governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, was in town but sent his deputy to represent him. The deputy governors of Edo and Benue represented their governors.
In continuation of his consultations ahead of next year’s presidential election, Atiku, yesterday, met with former presidential aspirants of the party.
The meeting was attended by Mohammed Hayatudeen, Dania Olivia, Charles Ndukwe, and Dele Momodu. Those absent included the governors of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former Senate Presidents, Anyim Pius Anyim; and ex-senate president, Bukola Saraki, among others.
Meanwhile, Atiku wrote on his Twitter handle that he had a meeting with a delegation from Niger State, led by Gana.
He wrote, “It was my pleasure to host a delegation of PDP stakeholders from Niger State led by Professor Jerry Gana. We discussed issues of interest in promoting the growth of our party and ensuring that the PDP records a resounding success in the next year’s general election.”
Nobody Can Stop Our Stand Against Injustice, Wike, Makinde Insist
Despite moves by no fewer than 17 governorship candidates of the PDP to resolve the crisis rocking the party Tuesday night, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike insisted that nobody could silence his demand for justice in the party.
Similarly, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said he would continue to fight for the right things to be done in the party.
Wike spoke yesterday at the inauguration of Emohua campus of Rivers State University, and the flag-off of staff quarters, performed by Makinde. The governor said the time of reckoning was coming for those, who continued to insist that they could take everything to themselves in PDP, saying such persons would definitely account for every wrong thing they had done.
Wike said, “That is why I am telling the people there, look, it cannot work. You can’t take everything. If you take everything, it will purge you. So, better do the right thing now.
“Don’t sit there and think that you can muzzle me and you can do everything, you can manipulate anything. You can think you have the number to make sure you take everything, but the time is coming when you will account for it.
“If any PDP state is not doing well, don’t think you will be voted for because APC is not doing well. If a PDP state, for example, if in Rivers State we didn’t do well, then you’ll say because APC did not do well at the national, then the people will vote for us.
“They will tell you PDP didn’t do well in Rivers State. People don’t understand that. And that is why the party should respect us and know that we are the ones campaigning for the party, because we have what to use to campaign.”
Makinde, while performing the inauguration of the campus and flag-off of the staff quarters, stated that such multi-campus of a university would promote quality education, expand the scope of learning, and open up access to tertiary education.
Makinde noted the efforts by Wike as evidence of his vision and commitment to the good of the people of Rivers State. He said, “If children are doing all of these, I think what Nigeria needs are children. So, my brother (Wike) you can rest assured that Nigeria appreciates you.
“Even the fight that we lost, we did not lose with our heads bowed. We stood for the truth and for what is good for the country. We will continue to fight for our space within PDP. We will fight for what is good for our people.”
How PDP Guber Candidates Tried to Resolve Atiku, Wike Feud
Seventeen governorship candidates of PDP said they were in Rivers State, yesterday, to try to resolve the feud between Atiku and Wike.
The Kaduna State PDP governorship candidate, Isa Mohammed Bashiru, spoke to journalists at the end of their closed-door meeting with Wike at his private residence at Rumuepirikom, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Bashiru, who spoke on behalf of the other candidates, said they were hopeful of a positive outcome. He said they had earlier met with Atiku .
Bashiru revealed that they would meet with the NWC before taking a decision on the matter.
He stated, “The talk was fruitful, open discussion with all sincerity. And we are home and dry. We met and discussedd issues that bordered on the situation within the party. An internal matter is not for you to get details into. But, we are through.
“We have discussed with the presidential candidate (Atiku). We are here with our brother and friend (Wike). And issues that border on what has happened have been sorted out. The issue is being resolved as far as I am concerned. We have heard from both sides and we are going to meet with the National Working Committee to take a decision.”
Rivers PDP Chief Blames Atiku for Party’s Internal Crisis
A PDP chieftain in Rivers State, Princewill Dike, blamed Atiku and the national leadership of the party for mismanaging an internal crisis that should have been handled better and not allowed to escalate to the current level.
Dike, a Port Harcourt-based lawyer, said Wike was fighting for justice, inclusiveness and equity and had the sympathies of many of his colleagues, party leaders and many Nigerians, stressing that to avoid embarrassment at the 2023, Atiku should consider the demands of Wike and his camp.
Describing Wike as a force, a performer, and great mobiliser, Dike said the Rivers State governor remained the backbone of PDP. He said any attempt to call his bluff would spell doom to the party’s moves to reclaim the centre.
Dike said it was inconceivable that all key positions in the party, such as national chairman, presidential candidate, and chairman of the Board of Trustees were occupied by the north, to the detriment of the south, which had sustained the party.
The PDP chieftain said Atiku and the PDP would be playing God if they decided to go into a crucial election in 2023 with a flawed and northernised PDP structure.
Dike said the current structure of PDP at the national level vitiated the party’s constitution, which provides for fair distribution of offices to give all zones a sense of belonging.
