Again, PDP BoT meeting with Wike ends in deadlock

• Crisis will soon be over, says campaign spokesman, Aniagwu
• Party begins presidential rallies in Uyo on Monday

Yesterday’s meeting between the Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, at Government House, Port Harcourt, ended in a deadlock.

The closed-door session, which lasted about four hours, failed to address the protracted crisis rocking the party, as Wike insisted National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, must resign.

Acting BoT chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, who briefed newsmen at the end of the meeting, said they had a frank discussion but did not reach any conclusion.

He said: “We have not concluded. You know, it is always easy to discuss. But to make peace takes some time. We are better informed. We have got some new information. Every coin has two sides. In concrete terms, it is work in progress.”

Crisis had erupted immediately after the party’s presidential primaries and the subsequent selection of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as running mate to Atiku Abubakar.

Wike and his supporters have insisted Ayu relinquish his position in favour of a southern national chairman to balance the structure of the party.

Wabara’s delegation had Dr. Ibrahim Idris, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, Dame Esther Uduehi and Hajiya Zainab Maina.

Wike’s team consisted of Rivers State PDP chairman, Desmond Akawor, Rivers Elders Forum chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, Senator Adawari Pepple, Elder Emmanuel Anyanwu, Senator Olaka Nwogu and Dr. Sam Sam Jaja.
BUT earlier, yesterday, PDP Presidential Campaign Spokesman, Charles Aniagwu, said the crisis rocking the party would soon be over.

Aniagwu said the party’s reconciliation efforts were yielding results, bringing hope of a resolution in no distant time. He said Atiku Abubakar, Okowa and other leaders of the party were working hard to resolve all contending issues, to enable PDP present a common front ahead of the 2023 general elections.

According to Aniagwu, “Atiku has said he is not going to leave anybody behind. So, what we are doing is to ensure that everybody comes on board.

“Not long ago, we inaugurated the campaign council, and that means that the train has left the station. But we are very mindful of the fact that as we move along the track, we will stop at different stations to pick both old and new passengers.”

He noted: “One of the causes of agitation in the country is the inability of the APC to carry parts of the country along in the governance process. But beyond the issue of the votes, Atiku is interested in carrying everybody along, even after winning the election, by the grace of God.”

He said Atiku’s five-point agenda, encapsulated in his policy document, would address the nagging issues bedeviling the country.

“We are urging all Nigerians, including those who are non-aligned, to see the need to embrace the Atiku-Okowa ticket in their quest to govern Nigeria from 2023.

“It’s on record that Atiku is the only candidate that has been able to bring up a manifesto, which is called, ‘My Covenant With Nigerians.

“What he is doing now is part of his desire to carry everybody along, and we commend our other governors for remaining in the party to express their grievances within the party.

“I can assure you that at the end of the day, the PDP will move as one family and as a cohesive force, in addition to bringing other Nigerians on board, with a view to reversing the ugly situation that we find our country today.”

MEANWHILE, the party will formally begin its presidential campaign rallies on Monday in Uyo, the Akwa-Ibom State capital.

Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday.

Addressing journalists after inspecting facilities at the Atiku Campaign Office in Abuja, Tambuwal said: “We are pleased to report to you and indeed Nigerians that the campaign is ready to move.

“By the grace of God, we are flagging off the campaign on Monday, October 10, 2022, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. All arrangements have been made towards having a successful flag-off of the campaign.”

Tambuwal, who stressed that the campaign is going to be “issue based,” said: “We’re going to be marketing our candidates based on the programme we brought out, which is generally solution based.

“Atiku is very well prepared to provide the required leadership for this country at this time. He has experience in governance at the federal level, which I believe none of the rest of the candidates can match.

“This is not the time for Nigerians to go for ‘trial and error’. It’s time for them to give it to the person that has been tested and who has experience to do a good job, who would, from day one, hit the ground running.”