There is anxiety among members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the fight between the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu shifts to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party
This is even as the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), appears to be far from over.
A top PDP member told Saturday Sun in Abuja, that barring any last minute change, the NEC is likely to meet next week to appraise developments in the party as part of preparations for the 2023 general elections.
The proposed NEC meeting would be the first time the party organ would be meeting since the May 28/29 PDP national convention.
The PDP NEC, which consists of serving and former governors, principal officers of the National Assembly, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), among others, is the second highest organ of the opposition party. It is the only party organ that can take decisions on the removal of the national chairman after the national convention.
Saturday Sun gathered that in the aftermath of unsuccessful attempts to resolve the crisis rocking the PDP, the NEC might become the battleground in the supremacy battle between the Rivers governor and Ayu.
Multiple sources said a number of party leaders are apprehensive that the NEC, if not properly managed, might further be polarised ahead of the 2023 general elections. The opposition party has been enmeshed in crisis since the emergence of the Delta State governor as PDP vice presidential candidate, with Wike and his supporters,insisting on the replacement of the national chairman as a condition for peace.
Nevertheless, Ayu has stated repeatedly that he would not resign, insisting that he was elected for a four year tenure. On the flipside, the composition of the Presidential Campaign Council has been stalled by the crisis.
Also, a meeting of the PDP NEC and national caucus, scheduled for the last month was called off by the party leadership, amidst fears that party leaders opposed to Ayu’s continued stay in office as chairman were likely to use the meeting of the party organ to move for his ouster.
Saturday Sun gathered that ahead of the proposed NEC meeting, pro-and anti-Ayu PDP leaders are warming up for a showdown in their bids to push through their position at the meeting.
Regardless, a member of the PDP NEC, from one of the North Central states, told Saturday Sun that there was need for the opposition party to tread softly in the management of the crisis.
According to him, convening a NEC meeting without first of all pacifying aggrieved members might be counter productive for the opposition party.
“I read that the party is inviting us to a NEC meeting. But that should not be the starting point. The starting point wouldn’t have been a NEC meeting. If you have not been able to mend fences and you invite people for a NEC meeting, and it boomerangs. NEC is a very high and serious organ of the party.
