From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) will kick-off its campaign for the 2023 general elections on September 28, with the inauguration of its presidential campaign council. However, unlike in the recent past, the opposition party will be going into the 2023 battle with a sharply divided house.
In the aftermath of the nomination of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively, the PDP has been torn between the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and his supporters on the one hand, and the party leadership, supported by Atiku and his men on the other hand.
Wike, who came second in the PDP presidential primary, which was won by the former vice president, had also lost the vice presidential ticket slot to Okowa to the chagrin of his supporters.
The Rivers governor’s camp had accused the PDP National chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, of alleged bias in the process leading to the emergence of both the party’s presidential candidate and his running mate. An allegation, Ayu through his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, has repeatedly denied. Since June, it has been “war without end” in the opposition party.
In a bid to end the rift, the two camps have held several meetings, within and outside the country. However, the Wike camp has continued to insist on the replacement of Ayu with someone from the South to create a North/ South balance in the party’s top hierarchy, ahead of the 2023 polls. According to them, since the presidential candidate is from the North, it is against fairness and equity for the North and South to have the positions of presidential candidate and national chairman.
Hopes that the PDP will resolve all its problems and close ranks before the commencement of electioneering for the 2023 polls dimmed last week, with the withdrawal of Wike and his men from the Presidential Campaign Council.
The Rivers governor’s camp, which consists of Governors Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Seyi Makinde of Benue, Enugu, Abia and Oyo states respectively, announced their withdrawal from the presidential campaign council, after a marathon meeting, in Port Harcourt, last week, to drive home their demand for the replacement of Ayu ahead of the 2023 polls.
Other members of the group include former PDP deputy national chairman, Chief Olabode George, former Ondo State governor, Segun Mimiko, former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, former Plateau governor, Jonah Jang, Mohammed Adoke, PDP national vice chairman (South South), Dan Orbih amongst others.
George, who briefed journalists, on the outcome of their meeting, said “we resolve that we are deeply concerned by the division in our party. We are aware that over the years, our party has developed conflict resolution mechanisms that guarantee inclusiveness. The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cart before the horse.
“Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the National Chairman of the party for an acting Chairman of the Southern Nigerian extraction to emerge and lead the party on the national campaign.
“Consequently, we resolve not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu”.
Nevertheless, Atiku, in his immediate reaction, expressed surprise of the decision of the aggrieved party leaders to pull out of his campaign. The former vice president, in a statement, noted that he cannot force Ayu to quit as party chairman.
According to him, “on the calls for the resignation or removal from office of our national chairman, I must reiterate what I have said severally in public and in private; the decision for Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign from office is personal to Dr. Ayu and, neither I nor anyone else can make that decision for him.”
Consequently, the PDP presidential candidate urged “those members of our party that have stated their resolve to withdraw from the Presidential Campaign Council to have a rethink, retrace their steps,” and help him in the task of rescuing the country from the many challenges confronting her.
Several party leaders are worried about the likely implications of the intra party crisis, especially the withdrawal of the Wike group from the presidential campaign, on the the PDP in next year’s elections.
Pundits say the lingering crisis, apart from affecting the cohesion of the opposition party, is giving the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC), an ammunition against the PDP presidential candidate.
For instance, last week, the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, lambasted Atiku over the PDP crisis, describing the former vice president, as a “unifier” who cannot unify his party.
Tinubu, in a statement by Bayo Onanuga,
Director, Media and Publicity
APC Presidential Campaign Council, said the rift in the opposition party “has undermined any momentum the PDP candidate had hoped to build,” in the presidential contest.
According to him, “a pillar of Atiku’s campaign is the claim of being a unifier and nationalist. ..surely a man who cannot resolve a genuine dispute among his party members, who cannot forge an entente among them, cannot be expected to unify our country. “
Regardless, Atiku, while reacting to the APC candidate, through a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, said the issues in the PDP are an indication that the party is alive, stating that same cannot be said of the ruling party.
“Whatever is happening in the PDP is a conversation among leaders of the party and that, in itself, is a reflection of the PDP, as a living and engaging political party. The conversation in the PDP is all about consensus building, which in itself is a major ingredient for peace and unity,” the PDP candidate stated.
Amidst concerns over the effect of the crisis on Atiku’s 2023 campaign,
the Director General of the PDP presidential campaign council, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, said the crisis in the opposition party will be over in no distant time. Tambuwal, while addressing members of the PDP Board of Trustees ( BoT), in Abuja, last week, said the opposition governors are working assiduously to resolve all the issues in the party.
According to him, “be rest assured that as governors of the party, we are also talking to ourselves on the way forward and very soon, the Governors Forum will meet and we will come up with what we feel should be the solution and the way forward for the party.
“Of course, we must apply balms, since we all believe that what we have is not good enough, we must work together to solve our internal problems, forge ahead and prosecute the electoral battle and by the grace of God, we will have victory”.
Also, the PDP is making frantic efforts to mitigate the efforts of the party crisis on its campaigns for the 2023 general elections. Daily Sun gathered that the opposition party leadership has concluded plans to constitute peace panels to interface with aggrieved stakeholders across the six geo-political zones in the country.
Like Tambuwal, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba says all the issues in the opposition party will be resolved soon. Ologunagba told Daily Sun that party stakeholders, at different levels are talking on how to resolve the issues.
“Reconciliation is a marathon and the party will continue to reach out to every stakeholder. And that is ongoing. Consultations are going on in different levels. We believe that there is need for every member, every stakeholder to be involved in the mission to rescue Nigeria.
“ So, conversations are going on . And it will continue and that is the essence of reconciliation. There is no cause for alarm. We assure Nigerians that at the end of the day, the party will be united for the sake of Nigeria and to ensure that the rescue mission begins in earnest,” he stated.
Luckily, for the opposition party, all the gladiators, judging from their public comments have not closed the door for negotiation. Nevertheless, analysts say even if the crisis is eventually resolved, things may not remain the same for the opposition party, especially as there is now mutual mistrust among party leaders.