- Party reconciles Wike, Obaseki
- Affected govs, others wary of suits against defectors
- PRP, LP, AAC urged to unite against the ruling
By Joshua Omoloye
Serious horse-trading and realignment of positions are ongoing among critical organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) towards the presentation of implementable election guidelines, timetable, and schedule of activities for the 2023 election as well as zoning of its presidential ticket.
However, alarm bells are ringing in the PDP and its major rival, All Progressives Congress (APC), over the issues as well as seemingly intractable intra-party battles.
Last week, a draft election timetable was leaked to the media but denied by the PDP because it had not been finalized by the National Working Committee (NWC).
The two major issues were listed on the front burner at the meeting of PDP National Caucus Monday night in Abuja but it was stalemated. Briefing newsmen at the end of the about three hours meeting, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said there was no conclusion on the timetable and schedule of activities.
According to him, the document containing the timetable was circulated just at the meeting and a majority of the members asked for time to study it, make input and the recommendation be present at the National Executive Committee (NEC) parley. As a result of this, other meetings slated for Tuesday including that of the NEC were rescheduled for Wednesday at the party’s national secretariat, The Trumpet gathered.
However, zoning of the party’s presidency remains contentious as no agreeable consensus reached among those wanting to go South and one of the leading presidential hopefuls, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who said the idea should be jettisoned.
Presidential aspirants at the Monday meeting were Atiku, Bukola Saraki, Pius Anyim, Sule Lamido as well as Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto). Before the commencement of the meeting, efforts were made to reconcile Wike and Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki who have been engaged in a war of words over sundry party issues.
Wike, Obaseki and other governors were led out of a meeting room by the national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, into the main conference room.
The two governors followed each other into the meeting in a relaxed mood contrary to an expected tense atmosphere. Speakers at the opening session of the meeting all commended the positive progression in activities of the party since the emergence of the Ayu- led leadership last October.
Ayu said the impressive attendance of members of the different organs making up the national caucus shows unity and cohesion in the party. He said it has beenthe desire of the NWC to revive all statutory organs, bring party leaders together and resolve all differences at state chapters where there were issues. Ayu remarked: “despite challenges facing our party, we have tried to face these challenges squarely and am happy to say we are moving forward.
“The NWC has been able to conduct primaries and produced candidates for Ekiti and Osun governorship election and held successful congresses in some states. “We did very well in the FCT election by winning 44 councillorship seats while APC won 18. We won three critical council areas of AMAC, Kuje and Bwari. And the party did well in recent bye- elections.
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We are making progress and coming back the winning ways”. The PDP, he said, was not happy with the delay by INEC in issuing certificates of return to its governorship and deputy governorship candidates in Ebonyi State.
On behalf of the Governors Forum, its chairman (Tambuwal) said “in PDP, there is a ray of hope in the face of despondency.” He appealed to members to work harmoniously to achieve the task of winning in 2023. Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, said since the election of the NWC, there has been adherence to the PDP constitution.
He said Ayu has been working with other organs in bringing sanity to the opposition political grouping. He also commended PDP governors for keeping the party alive. Meanwhile, it is expected that farreaching decisions will be taken at the NEC meeting on Wednesday. Other parleys to be held before that of NEC on Wednesday are the BoT and the National Caucus meetings.
