By Suleiman Umaru
The lingering crisis in the Opposition People’s Democratic party, PDPD, since May, 2022, after the party Presidential primary in which Atituku Abubakar, a for former Vice [President during Olusegun Obsanjo’s Administration had beaten Nyensom Wike, the governor of Rivers and other contestants to it. Many had expected Atiku, the PDPD,Presidential Candidate for the 2023, general elections, to have settled down look for ways , to solve the party internal crisis in his capacity as the new party Leader by virtue of his new position.
But instead of doing everything within his powers to calm frayed nerves in the party ahead of the February 25, 2023, Presidential and National Assembly Elections, he appears to have been globetrotting, to Campaigns. One of the Internationa trips, was said to have taken to the North American country of the United States, US, to Campaign, where he met with the Nigeria business Community, top business Leaders from Nigeria and other young Nigerian Professionals in the diaspora while his party is losing support in some of the states controlled by the party where the aggrieved governors call the shot
Note that Wike, Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom, a former minister of state ,Industries, Investment and Trade during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration, , Okezie Iikpeazu and Ifeayi Ugwuanyi, all governors of Rivers, Oyo, Abia and Enugu, have been at war with the party Leadership because of their insistence that Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the party National Chairman.
Senator, may have played into the hands of the five aggrieved governors of the party because he had commited himself to resign his exalted position to pave way for a southerner to take over from him in the spirit of fairness, equity and Justice, if a northerner wins the Party Presidential primaries. Atiku, a one-time Nigerian Vice President and a northerner had won the primaries.
The Wike’s Camp, had expected Senator Ayu to keep to his words to resign but he filed to do so throwing the party into crisis. This may have exposed Wike, the Rivers state governor to be wooed by other parties Presidential Candidates for his support, particular, the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, who was said to have sent various groups to PortHarcourt to meet with the Rivers state governor.
The APC, Presidential Candidate, may not have gotten a firm answer from the Rivers governor of going to support him to win Rivers votes in the forthcoming 2023, general elections but had remained silent, meaning that the state is for grab by any of the 18 Political parties Presidential Candidates that could play his card well. Already, Wike, described as a master strategists in political circles, has appointed 200,000 Special Aides, across the entire 24 local Areas of the state, which has given firm control of the state.
Senator Ayu, the PPDP, National Chairman, may have hardened the mind of the five aggrieved PDP, governors when he boasted in Gboko, a town in Benue state, recently, that he as the power to stop governor Ortom, of Benue, his home state from realizing his Senatorial ambition on the platform of the PDP.
He may have made Nigerians to believe that the bulks stops on his table to decide on who would contest election on the platform of the party or not, further deepening the crisis in the party. Wike had dared him to try it.
Political analysts are of the view that Atiku, the PDP, Presidential Candidate , is enjoying the power play, in the party, between his arch loyalists, which include, Ayu, the party embattled National Chairman, that he has refused to intervene to save the situation from degenerating.
They fear that he may resort to ethnic Campaigns to win the February25, 2023, Presidential elections by asking voters from the north, who are mostly Muslims, to use their voting strength to reject Tinubu, the Flag bearer of the APC and Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and Touch bearer of the Labour Party, LP.
Aminu Tambuwal, a former Speaker of House of House of Representatives, and now governor of Sokoto state, who incidentally is the Director General of Atiku, Presidential Campaign Council, Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state and Sule Lamido, a former governor of Jigawa state and Ayu, the party National Chairman of the PDP, may have read he handwriting on the wall that there is anger ahead.
The foursome may have realised that the crack in the party may rob it of losing the 2023, Presidential election to either the ruling APC Candidate, Tinubu or Obi, who has the strong backing of the Nigeria Youths who are seeking for a change in nation’s political narrative.
Atiku, the PDP, Presidential Candidate and his arch supporters, described as members of the party inner circle and new found power brokers in the party, and other Chieftains of the party were said to have met behind closed door on Saturday, November, 5, 2022, at the party National Secretariat, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Ayu, may have known that there is trouble ahead as he was said to have told associates that ‘’the reasons for their meeting was ‘‘to discuss some developments in the party’’. He is right. This is because the party as it stands now cannot guarantee the supportof Wike and his group, to the Atiku, the party presidential Candidate who is not in the good book of former Olusegun Obasanjo.
Last Saturday, the PDP, Flag bearer, had tweeted saluting the 85 year-old elder statesman, and African Union, AU, Negotiator for leading peace talks between Ethiopian government and the Tigrayan rebels who have been fighting for the past two years of devastating conflict that was said to have claimed thousands of lives and left millions needing aid in the Africa’s second most populous country, next to Nigerian.
He may have taken advantage of the tweet to congratulate the eleder statesman to state that ‘’Africa is blessed to have a statesman of such impeccable democratic credentials’’, urging the Katsina state born Nigerian President ‘‘to use the elder statesman’s image in one of the redesigned three naira Notes to inspire future generations of Nigerians to sacrifice for their nation and African Continent in general’’., to win his support
Recall that, on October 26, 2022, Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, who had secured the Presidential approval to redesign the N200, N500 and N1000 Notes, thouigh without consulting Hajia Zainab Ahmed, minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, had set the machinery in motion to start the process of printing the new naira Notes overseas, which is expected to go into circulation, on December, 15, 2022.
Notwithstanding that the planned redesigning three naira Notes, which will go into circulation on December 15, 2022, but it will still be used as the country’s legal tender, alongside the old exiting currencies until January 31, 2023, barely 25 days, to the 2023, Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Funny enough, Obasanjo, the former Nigerian President, has kept Nigerians waiting as he has not endorsed any of the Presidential Candidates of the 18 political parties, jostling to take over from Buhari, after the 2023, general elections. Atiku, Tinubu, and Obi, have at different times visited the elder statesman at his Abeokuta home, to solicit for his support, but he had kept as a closely guided secret his favoured Candidate for the 2023, general elecions.
favoured Candidate for the 2023, general elections.
