•Wike and Atiku
Fresh Crisis is brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as loyalists of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, return to the trenches.
The bone of contention, it was gathered, is the control of the leadership of the opposition party, ahead of the 2027 general elections, reports Daily Sun.
Inside sources revealed that the Atiku and Wike’s camps are already mobilising ahead of the April 18 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, where major decisions regarding the appointment of a substantive national chairman, and other critical issues would be taken. It would be the first time the NEC, second highest organ of the party, will be meeting in the last 18 months.
It was gathered that barring any last minute change, major issues to be discussed include the appointment of a replacement for Iyorcha Ayu. He lost his seat shortly after the 2023 general elections, following his sack as a member of the party by his ward in Benue State. However, he is currently challenging his ouster at the Court of Appeal.
Prior to the 2023 general elections, a group of five governors, led by Wike, former governor of Rivers State, had fallen out with Atiku and the PDP leadership, in the aftermath of the nomination of former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as PDP vice presidential candidate.
The Wike group had insisted on the removal of Ayu as the PDP chairman, as a condition for peace. However, while the former Senate president said he would not quit, Atiku maintained that it was not in his place to ask Ayu to resign. Thus, the PDP went to the poll with a divided house. The party has been polarised, with Atiku’s loyalists calling for sanction against the former Rivers Governor for alleged anti -party activities.
However, multiple sources told our correspondents that while the Atiku camp is pushing for the replacement of Damagum, who has been acting as national chairman since Ayu’s ouster, Wike’s loyalists are canvasing for the acting chairman to remain in office until the next convention in December 2025.
According to one of the sources, “Atiku’s people are pushing for the NEC so as to replace Damagum. They want a non Wike’s person from the North Central to take over.
“But Wike’s men are very entrenched in the NWC. So, they will not allow a non Wike person as national chairman. There are push by some interests close to Damagum to continue as the party’s chairman, but if they are not able to push that through, they will ensure that their loyalist emerges as substantive chairman.
Another source stated that, “everything is about 2025, and 2027. The calculation is that whoever is chairman will have influence in the outcome of the next convention. And the outcome of that convention will equally influence the 2027 contest
“Basically, the two camps are strategising and mobilising ahead of the NEC meeting so that in the event they are to make nomination for the national chairman, they want it from their various camps.”
It was also gathered that the 2027 ambition of the governors is also fuelling the supremacy tussle in the PDP. Consequently, the governors are equally divided, with some sympathetic to Atiku, who is believed to be eyeing the party ‘s ticket in 2027.
“The governors also have interest. Bala Mohammed wants to contest. Makinde is interested in 2027, in the event that Asiwaju is not contesting,” a party source said.
Last week, the party announced the composition of caretaker committees for 20 states, including the FCT. It was gathered that the appointment of the caretaker committees for states, since the tenure of the State Working Committees (SWC) has expired is part of the tussle for the control of the party machineries ahead of the next general elections.
