From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Last week was characterized by intrigues, power play and horse-trading in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as party leaders loyal to Atiku Abubakar/Iyorchia Ayu and Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike battle for supremacy in the opposition party.
Sunday Sun gathered that in the aftermath of the vote of confidence on the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Senator Ayu, both the supporters of the national chairman and party leaders loyal to Governor Wike have returned to the drawing board.
The Wike camp, which comprises Governors Samuel Ortom, Benue; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu; Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia; and Seyi Makinde, Oyo; as well as some former governors, ex-ministers, and former and serving members of the National Assembly, last Thursday suffered a huge setback as the PDP National Executive Committee ( NEC) passed a vote of confidence in the Ayu-led NWC.
The opposition party has been embroiled in crisis in the aftermath of the nomination of Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa, as PDP presidential and vice presidential candidate, with Wike’s men insisting that Ayu must be replaced by a Southerner so as to create a North/South balance in the party leadership.
It was expected that the PDP NEC would take a decision on whether or not Ayu will be replaced to no avail. However, prior to the NEC meeting, Senator Walid Jibrin, who was the BoT chairman, resigned his position and was promptly replaced by former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara.
The resignation of Jibrin, was a masterstroke by the Ayu/Atiku camp in the battle of supremacy by gladiators in the opposition party.
The former BoT chairman, who is from Nasarawa State had recently said that it is unfair that himself, the presidential candidate, as well as the national chairman are all from the North.
Sunday Sun gathered that Jibrin resignation and subsequent replacement by Wabara was orchestrated to weaken the case of the Wike group for the replacement of Ayu, so as to create a North/ South balance.
After the resignation of Jibrin, attention shifted to the NEC meeting.
The Ayu/Atiku camp was to pull another masterstroke by getting the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, to move a motion for a vote of confidence in the NWC, at the opening session of the NEC meeting.
Insides sources told Sunday Sun that the decision to move the confidence vote, which was adopted, had been reached by Ayu’s supporters at one of their many meetings ahead of the NEC meeting.
The vote of confidence practically took the sail off the demand of the aggrieved party members for Ayu’s replacement; so much so that the issue was not even discussed at the meeting of the party organ.
A NEC member, who is sympathetic to the Ayu group told Sunday Sun that “what Elumelu did was a script that was already discussed. The issue of Wike’s demand for the resignation of Ayu was not mentioned at NEC. Nobody discussed that. It was not even an issue.”
Ironically, the Rivers governor and his key supporters had stayed away from the NEC meeting and the meeting of national caucus, which held the day before.
Incidentally, about 15 members of the PDP NWC, majorly from the South, had on Wednesday last week, signed for a vote of no confidence on Ayu as chairman of the opposition party.
The vote of no confidence was intended to spur NEC to move against the national chairman.
However, the tide was to turn in favour Ayu, as the party organ gave him a reprieve as the agitation for his removal was not mentioned at last Thursday’s NEC.
Nevertheless, a PDP leader, in the Ayu camp, told Sunday Sun that they are committed to continued dialogue with the the Rivers governor and his men, as the party leadership believes that there is need to confront the 2023 polls with a united house.
According to him, “we will dialogue with him ( Wike). We will continue to engage him. Some of his people were actually in the NEC meeting on Thursday.”
Ayu, relishing the respite given to him by NEC, last Friday, led some members of the NWC to Wabara to seek his support in pacifying aggrieved members.
According to him, the party leadership, as part of its renewed effort to resolve the crisis, would visit Port Harcourt next week to met with the Rivers governor.
“I want to also reveal to you that the NWC under the leadership of the Deputy National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Damagun, will be going to see not only Governor Wike, but every other person who is aggrieved. It is the unanimous decision of the NWC and we think that your leading the fight for peace and full reconciliation in the party will be helpful.
“There is a time for anger and there’s a time for the anger to stop. So help us to reach out to all aggrieved members try and heal the party with your new role as the party chairman of the BoT,” Ayu told Wabara.
Sunday Sun gathered that while the party chairman is making frantic efforts to rally top PDP leaders to intervene in the party crisis, especially in reaching out to Wike and his men, the Rivers governor and his supporters are strategizing on their next line of action.
A source to close to the Wike camp told Sunday Sun that the group, which had repeatedly said they would not leave the PDP over the lingering crisis, is billed to meet soon to reappriase the development in the opposition party and decide on their next line of action.
According to the source, “ the group will meet next week. Most likely the venue will be Abuja. But there have been many peace overtures to Wike and his men, after the NEC meeting.”
Stakeholders are watching to see if the two warring groups in the PDP will be able to reach a compromise, ahead of the September 28 date for the commencement of electioneering for the 2023 polls.