Following the frosty relationship between the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, indications emerged yesterday on how governorship candidates of the party brokered peace with the latter.
Both Atiku and Wike have been at daggers-drawn over the removal of PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
But as leaders of the PDP hold a crucial National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, today, indications of what to expect began from the meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, which was presided over by the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, at the National Secretariat, yesterday.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike, yesterday, declared that the forces bent on alienating him and his allies in the power-sharing equation of the PDP, ahead of the 2023 elections, would account for perceived misdeeds in coming days of reckoning.
18 PDP governorship candidates had met with the Rivers State governor in Port Harcourt, days after first meeting with the party’s presidential flag bearer and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
Though details of the meeting were not disclosed, multiple sources, both at Rivers Government House and one of the governorship candidates, told Vanguard that the meeting ended on a good note.
One of the sources, who spoke to Vanguard in confidence, said the candidates were able to get a commitment from Wike to ceasefire and work in the interest of the PDP.
A governorship candidate, privy to the meeting said: “18 of us were at the meeting, including the son of former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido.
We threw banters, as to how his father has been attacking Wike.
“We had a useful discussion and the outcome was positive. Governor Wike made us feel at home during the meeting. At the end of the meeting, Governor Wike committed to a ceasefire and being an honourable man, the governor will not do anything that will hurt the interest of the party once all the matters are discussed.”
Another Government House source, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said: “The meeting was positive and everyone there went away with a positive impression that all is going to be well with the party.
“One of the commitments the candidates extracted from the governor is that he will cease fire. The governor also promised not to work against the party. He opened up to them and they found the meeting very useful.”
Speaking at the end of the meeting, the governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Mr. Issa Ashiru, said the sensational feud between the former Vice President and Governor Wike might be over.
On the outcome of the meeting he and 17 other PDP governorship candidates had with the Rivers State governor in Port Harcourt, Ashiru said: “It was a fruitful, open discussion with sincerity. We are home and dry. We discussed issues that border on the situation within the party.”
Ashiru, who declined to give details of the meeting, said: “We have discussed this with the presidential candidate. We are here with our brother and friend (Wike). Issues that border on what has happened have been sorted out.
“The issue has been resolved as far as I’m concerned because we have heard from both sides. We are going to meet with the National Working Committee to take a decision.”
Vanguard