PDP BoT sets up panel to resolve acrimony between Atiku, Wike

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a committee to reconcile the “warring factions” in the party.

Abdul Ningi, a former senator, said this on Wednesday while briefing journalists after a closed-door meeting of the BoT.

Ningi spoke on behalf of Walid Jibril, the PDP BoT chairman.

On Monday, Jibril said the meeting will generate “strong recommendations” that will lead to the reconciliation of aggrieved members, including Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state.

Ningi said the committee which includes all members of the BoT, will interface between “warring factions” involving Atiku Abubakar, PDP presidential candidate, and Wike.

“We have set up, in this meeting, a committee of the BoT to be able to interface between warring factions, particularly the acrimony that is taking place between the presidential candidate and governor Wike and any other conflict that is taking place in the nation within our party formation,” he said.

“The committee is the committee of the whole — that means every BoT member is a member of the committee. I cannot tell you the grievances and the time frame.”

Asked about the BoT’s position on the call for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, PDP national chairman, Ningi said “we have not even discussed any issue of anybody stepping down”.

THE FRICTION

The opposition party has been mired in controversy since Abubakar picked Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta state, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

Wike had contested the PDP presidential ticket in May but came second to Abubakar.

The decision has caused division in the party, as some party stakeholders had expressed concerns over Atiku’s decision to “ignore” Wike, who was reportedly recommended for the position by a panel consisting of members of the party’s national working committee (NWC).

But in a recent interview, Atiku said the panel did not choose Wike, and that he did not pick Wike as his running mate because he wanted someone he could work with “amicably”.

Responding to the claims made by the PDP presidential candidate in the interview, Wike accused Atiku of lying, saying he would speak on the matter soon.

On Sunday, Wike met with his presidential campaign council at the Rivers governor’s lodge in Abuja.

The outcome of the meeting is yet to be made public.