PDP crisis: Close ranks with Wike, BoT urges Atiku

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustee (BoT) has constituted a committee to resolve the feud between the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. Abdul Ningi, a former senator, said this on Wednesday while briefing journalists after a closed-door meeting of the BoT. Why I picked female running […]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustee (BoT) has constituted a committee to resolve the feud between the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

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

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Ningi, who spoke on behalf of the Board’s chairman, Walid Jibril, said the panel, which includes all members of the BoT, would meet with Atiku and Wike’s camps and settle all misunderstandings as soon as possible.

However, Daily Trust gathered from sources that the meeting also resolved to recommend to the presidential candidate to close rank with Wike’s men as that was the only way to resolve the impasse and present a common front before the election.

The nomination of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as Atiku’s running mate has caused a rift in the party.

Some party stakeholders criticised Atiku’s decision to ignore Wike, who was reportedly recommended for the position by a selection panel.

Ningi said: “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”.