Independent NG
There are strong indications that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is on the verge of tearing apart following the rejection of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State by the party’s presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar as running mate in the 2023 general elections.
This crisis was also said to have led to the embarrassing defeats in the Ekiti State Governorship election, where the party came third behind the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the crisis is also currently threatening the party ahead of the Osun State gubernatorial election between Gboyega Oyetola and Demola Adeleke.
It would be recalled that Atiku emerged as the presidential candidate of the party after the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal stepdown at the last minute to the presidential primaries in Abuja, a move that angered Governor Wike.
Speaking after the party convention, Wike said, “I just decided that this our party must not be destroyed. I would have left where I was sitting down and said this convention cannot go ahead except if you allow me to talk. I would have flattened him.”
Many believed that the post-convention reconciliation would have addressed the fallout from the primary election, but the choice of Vice Presidential running mate has further polarised the party.
Days after, Atiku visited Wike at his residence in Abuja and promised to work with him closely to deliver the party in 2023. But one month after Atiku’s victory the party appears to be on a path of self-destruction.
While the PDP has been hailed to have been the only major political party to have sorted the issue of running mate, the choice of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate seems to be tearing the party apart.
So far, several PDP chieftains have openly challenged the process leading to the choice of Okowa, as many accused Atiku of not keeping to his promise to appoint Wike as running mate.
However, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose and Governor Samuel Ortom have recently claimed that Atiku offered the VP slot to Wike as compensation…
