Despite the meeting which was held between the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the governor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike in Abuja to resolve the party’s ongoing crisis, it appears the efforts has not yielded any fruits.
Africa Daily News, New York reports that since the two leading opposition politicians met in the Abuja home of the former minister of information, Professor Jerry Gana, tempers appear to have flared rather than brought forth answers.
According to reports made public over the weekend, Atiku’s camp may have resorted to organising for the 2023 general elections without the assistance of the Rivers governor, especially in light of the governor’s recent liaison with APC members (APC).
It was reported that some PDP stalwarts from Rivers State met with some party members who were loyal to the former vice president and the PDP candidate. Former state governor Celestine Omehia, former deputy speaker of the house of representatives Austin Opara, and senator Leo Maeba were among those said to have attended the meeting.
Concerned about the situation, the Rivers governor reacted by denying the politicians access to political paraphernalia in the state. While Maeba was dismissed 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.
According to information gathered, On Saturday, the top party officials were demoted due to their suspected covert relationship with Atiku. The party is alleged to have met with Atiku on multiple occasions without Governor Wike’s “clearance.”
On Saturday, individuals close to Atiku believed that some of these politicians may be utilised to split the vote in the state if the Atiku camp’s peace efforts were unsuccessful.
After the meeting between Atiku and Wike, a source with knowledge of what transpired revealed that the board members accused Ayu of publicly aligning with Atiku Abubakar before, during, and after the presidential primaries and for allowing the situation to worsen when he travelled abroad.
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?
However, findings indicate that the Campaign Council might be established soon because the party hierarchy reportedly felt disappointed by the governor of Rivers State’s antics despite their best efforts to promote peace.
Wike has invited at least three prominent leaders of the ruling party to commission projects in his state rather than promoting peace.
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.
The governor had invited his Lagos State colleagues, Babajide Sanwolu, former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to launch several projects accomplished by his administration in the state.
In response to the governor’s political activities, Senator Maeba, an ally of Atiku, said that the dissolution of the polytechnic’s governing body was due to the governor’s close partnership with Atiku.
He noted ‘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 verified the dismissal of former Governor Celestine Omehia and a ex 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 eatressed.
Regarding the claims that politicians had meetings in Abuja to discuss 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.’
The peace negotiations are believed to have failed as a result of Wike’s demands, including the removal of the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
The Wike Camp demanded, among other things, that Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s national chairman, resign so that a southern chairman could take over and give the party a semblance of a national outlook. However, Ayu and his supporters are reportedly adamant as opposed to Ayu leaving his position.
According to Wike’s camp, the party had been compromised by Northerners as the Presidential candidate, National Chairman, Chairman BoT and the chairman PDP Governors forum were all from the North, an advancement they were not comfortable with.
