The refusal of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his allies to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in next year’s election may have put the one-time vice president in a tighter corner.
Wike and his colleagues — Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi) —who said they will announce the presidential candidate of their choice early next year, have not joined Atiku’s campaign.
It was learnt yesterday that notable party elders, who screened the nominees for Atiku’s running mate, are unwilling to intervene in the face-off between the PDP candidate and the Group of Five Governors (G-5).
Some chieftains of the Rivers State chapter of the party have dared the PDP to sanction the G-5 governors over their position.
They said any move by the party to sanction Wike and his allies will compound the crisis.
As at yesterday, the leadership of the party and the camp of its presidential flagbearer, were undecided on how to address the grievances of the G-5 governors and other aggrieved members, christened “Integrity Group”.
The five governors have been at loggerheads with Atiku and the PDP over the refusal of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to step down as National Chairman of the opposition party.
There were feelers from the United Kingdom (UK), where the G-5 has been holding talks that Wike and his allies have decided not support Atiku as candidate of their party.
A reliable PDP source confided in our correspondent that not a few party elders have washed their hands off the Atiku/G-5 rift.
The source, who did not want his name in print, said the party elders felt left out in some key decisions taken by Atiku and the party leadership.
The source said: “In the first place, many of these elders were members of a committee that Atiku set up to help him pick a suitable candidate to be his running mate. It is public knowledge that this committee of elders had picked Governor Wike for the vice presidential slot, only for Atiku to jettison their choice and pick a different person.
“So, these party elders, including Chief David Mark, have been made to feel that their opinions do not matter on such critical issues affecting the party. That is why it is difficult for these same elders to approach Governor Wike and his colleagues in the G-5 with any reconciliation talks.”
Those who joined former Senate President Mark in the PDP Vice Presidential Candidate Selection Committee were: PDP Deputy National Chairman Umar Damagum; former Sokoto State Governor Alhaji Sule Lamido; Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal; House of Representatives member Ndudi Elumelu and Ortom, among others.
Noting that the position taken by the G-5 governors might hurt Atiku’s presidential bid, another party source said it’s too late for anyone to salvage the situation.
He said: “The election is just about two months away with the Southeast and Southsouth slipping away. The PDP is not even sure of its hold in the Northcentral this time around.
“A larger percentage of the proverbial 12 million northern votes that used to be for Buhari will certainly go to the APC candidate in 2023. It’s mere wishful thinking for the PDP to expect APC governors in the Northeast and the Northwest to ditch their own candidate and work for Atiku’s success during the election.”
Many PDP stakeholders were also of the strong view that “it’s too late for Atiku or the PDP to respond to the demands of the G-5″.