THE NATION
Afresh crisis may be brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as some leaders of the opposition party are allegedly pushing for the immediate expulsion of any of its chieftains that accepts to serve in the yet to be unfolded cabinet of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan, reports.
HERE are indications that interest groups within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are once again set to engage each other in another round of face off over alleged plans by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to name some chieftains of the troubled party in his ministerial list as well as consider others for some other roles in his administration.
A competent source within the party told The Nation that opposing forces within the party are preparing to slug it out over the plot to push for the expulsion of PDP chieftains that agree to serve in the Tinubu administration. It was also gathered that supporters of Atiku Abubakar, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate and those backing former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, are set to engage each other in an open war for the control of the party.
The crisis in the PDP has its root in the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election, where Wike, lost to the former vice-president, Atiku and Atiku’s decision to pick the then Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate against the recommendation of a committee chaired by Samuel Ortom, which reportedly recommended Wike as the PDP vice presidential candidate. Wike failed to support Atiku during the general elections and, instead, worked for Tinubu, who won the election.
The crisis consumed the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, as a Benue High Court ordered him to stop parading himself as national chairman of the PDP pending determination of the suit before it. The National Working Committee, (NWC) of the PDP, acting on the order, confirmed its Deputy National Chairman (North), Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum, as acting national chairman after Ayu, stepped aside in deference to the court order.
Signs that fresh troubles were about to rock the party emerged when Phrank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, while responding to an agitation by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, for the inclusion of Wike in the list of Tinubu’s Ministerial nominees, said the G-5 governors were only seeking relevance, appointments, and protection from prosecution.
Atiku’s spokesman added that their decision not to support Atiku had nothing to do with patriotism, and Nigerians should not be deceived. His statement came amidst claims that the pro-Atiku camp in the PDP is still bent on ensuring the exit of Wike and his supporters from the party at all cost. “Tinubu’s ministerial list is one thing they are waiting for to further nail Wike and other PDP chieftains on his side,” a source said on Thursday.
Another party source told our correspondent that Damagum is under pressure to constitute a committee that will investigate allegations of anti-party activities against Wike and some other PDP leader. “The plan is to get the investigation panel to indict the affected people at all cost so as to pave the way for their expulsion from the party. But the acting National Chairman has been slow in setting up the committee,” our source noted.
Signs of trouble
Reacting to Fayose’s interview, Shaibu said appointing Wike as a minister would be counter-productive. He added that the former Ekiti governor said it as it is when he described Wike as “an average mad man.” “We want to appreciate Fayose for describing Wike as an ‘average mad man.’ Indeed, it is only a mad person who can use violence to prevent people from coming into a state to campaign. It takes madness to subvert the will of the people.”
He added that it is unfortunate that Fayose and other members of the G5 were not bold enough to openly campaign for Tinubu but rather chose to deceive members of their party while working against Atiku behind the scene during the run-up to the presidential election instead of coming out now. According to Shaibu, Wike and others are running from pillar to post in order to get Tinubu to ensure that they are not prosecuted by anti-graft agencies.
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