The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria is working towards bringing an end to the crisis that engulfed the party since the conduct of its presidential primary in May, 2022, it was learnt.
Party sources said that even though there were disagreements, among the options being considered was wielding the big stick against ex-Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his erstwhile G-5 governor allies.
The crisis stemmed from Wike’s defeat and the refusal of the eventual flagbearer, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the PDP leadership to field Wike as Atiku’s running mate in the last general elections.
Wike, his G-5 allies, also known as the Integrity Group, not only refused to work for the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku, but worked for the eventual winner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.
The PDP, then led by Iyorchia Ayu, whose reign as its national chair was truncated by a court ruling, suspended or sent some top members out of the party over alleged anti-party activities.
Many of those affected are either directly connected to the G-5 governors or, like the dissident governors, openly supported the presidential candidates of other parties.
While a member of the G-5, ex-Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, was referred to a disciplinary panel, a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, a known ally of Mr Wike, was suspended from the party. But both decisions were later reversed by the party.
The crisis in the main opposition party then took a new twist when Wike dared the leadership to suspend him.
Wike, who was answering questions from journalists, said the party’s leadership knew what he was capable of.
He said, “I beg them today, they should not waste time to suspend me.
“They should call a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting now and say, ‘You are now suspended from the party.’ Anything you see, you take. They know what I will do.”
While he had accepted the outcome of the presidential primary in good faith, Wike insisted that Senator Ayu must resign as the party’s national chairman for the sake of equity since a Northern presidential candidate had emerged.
His actions since then, however, have been perceived by many as anti-party activities amid speculations that the PDP leadership may be planning to sanction him.
Although Wike has been rewarded with the position of the Minister of the FCT by the APC-led administration, PDP which he has been a member since 1999, is still trying to wriggle out of the crisis exacerbated by the loss of the presidential election.
-dailytrust
