Efforts by Nigeria’s main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to put its house in order ahead of Presidential election next year appeared to have yielded fruits after the two warring camps of Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the Governor of Rivers State, Nysome Wike met again in Port Harcourt last Friday with Wike’s camp conceding to two concessions.
The first is that Wike will remain in PDP and not move to another political party no matter the level of his disaffection within the fold.
The group also agreed to join in the Presidential campaign of the party even though Wike may not emerge as the Director-General of the campaign team for Atiku.
What seemed to be the difficult choice before Atiku and PDP
is the push from Wike’s camp insisting on the resignation of PDP National Chairman, Iyorcha Ayu to pave way for a Southern candidate and balance of power within the party.
Wike’s affection for PDP seemed to have diminished after a heartbreaking defeat to Atiku at the party’s Presidential primary in Abuja and his displeasure may have been aggravated with the outcome of the Vice Presidency of the party.
Against recommendations from the party, Atiku looked beyond the strong man from Rivers State who came second in the Presidential primary that sealed his victory and settled for a less fancied running mate in the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.
With these two disappointments, Wike and his group have not hidden their anger towards Atiku and PDP; and from his camp has come subtle threats to dump the party with the likelihood of swinging victory elsewhere.
Wike’s new found love and romance with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), enough to unsettle the minds of many in PDP, may have forced interest groups within the party to bring both Atiku and Wike to the negotiation table.
Wike currently sits on a gold mine of roughly 2 million votes in Rivers with more than half of them potential supporters of PDP even though there is a growing wave of support for the candidate of Labour Party , Peter Obi that could potentially douse Wike’s influence in the State.
Also Read: Governor Wike vows to “crush” Rivers politicians colluding with enemies of the state
As a serving Governor, Wike’s influence enough to do damage to PDP remains intact and it might be unwise for the party to call his bluffs on the eve of election.
But the big question is whether or not PDP and Atiku can bow and accept Wike’s last wish for it to sacrifice its current National Chairman with barely six months to the election.
The die is cast!
Atiku and Wike’s camps know that they certainly need to sit at more negotiation tables to iron out their difference if they hope to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), waiting in the wings to make the most of the current internal wranglings in the PDP.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
