FCT, Abuja – The national ‘ex-officio’ members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have warned that the lingering internal crisis in the party could lead to its implosion.
As reported by The Nation on Sunday, October 20, the ‘ex-officios’ said only an emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting, scheduled for October 24, can address the escalating tensions within the party’s top leadership.
The Guardian also noted the PDP ex-officio’s stance.
The roots of the crisis can be linked to the May 28, 2022, presidential primary, which produced Atiku Abubakar as the party’s flag bearer.
TimesNow.com.ng reports that Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers state and current minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), had been at loggerheads with Atiku.
Wike’s disagreement with Atiku can be traced to the former vice-president’s victory at the PDP’s primary election and the septuagenarian’s choice of the former governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa, as running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
All efforts by some leaders of the party to reconcile the duo have been futile.
Furthermore, several PDP governors want the removal of Umar Damagum, the acting national chairman of the party, a move Wike is against.
In a statement, the ex-officio members bemoaned what they referred to as a “dangerous turn of events” that has the potential to destabilise the PDP.
Their statement partly reads:
It added:
Meanwhile, Wike spoke at a luncheon he organised in honour of the 10th legislative assembly of Rivers state in Port Harcourt. There, Wike vowed to continue to be a problem to PDP governors.
The minister said:
Earlier, TimesNow.com.ng reported that Atiku’s camp responded to Wike’s statement that he would continue to be a problem to the former vice-president.
Atiku said Wike still harbours bitterness from his defeat at the 2022 party presidential primaries of the PDP.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
