PDP BoT chair: It’s unfair to have presidential candidate, national chairman from north

Walid Jibrin, chairman of the board of trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says it’s unfair for the party’s presidential candidate and national chairman to hail from the same region. 

Jibrin said this on Sunday when he featured on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels Television.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s national chairman, and Jibrin, the BoT chairman, are all from the north.

Jibrin said the national caucus, BoT and the national executive committee of the party are yet to schedule their meetings because they are awaiting the recommendation of the committees set up to reconcile the aggrieved members.

“To tell the truth, it will not be fair for the president of Nigeria to be from the north, the chairman of the party from the north and the BoT chairman from the north,” he said.

“By next week we will get the report. And when we find out that somebody is wrong in what has happened we will come up openly to tell the party that it is wrong. Whatever we can do, we will do it in the interest of the party to make the party remain as PDP.

Jibrin said if necessary, he will give up his position as the BoT chairman for peace to reign in the party.

BACKGROUND 

The opposition party has been embroiled in crisis since the conclusion of its presidential primary election in May.

Wike had contested the presidential ticket but he lost to the former vice-president.

The cracks widened after Atiku Abubakar named Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

Following the announcement, some party stakeholders expressed concerns that Abubakar overlooked Wike — who was said to have been recommended by a panel set up at Abubakar’s instance.

The division in the party worsened after Abubakar granted an interview to Arise TV, during which he explained his rationale for overlooking Wike.

Days after the interview, Wike fired back, accusing the party’s presidential candidate of telling “many lies”.

Abubakar has been making efforts to reconcile with Wike but there has been little progress thus far. Last week, a three-member delegation he constituted met with Wike’s team in Rivers.

The Rivers governor is reportedly demanding the resignation of Ayu as a precondition for peace talks.