2023: Jitters In PDP As Wike Invites APC Chieftains To Inaugurate Projects Amid Crisis

• PDP BoT’s Attempts To Reconcile Atiku, Wike Flop

Concerns mount in Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the decision of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to invite some chieftains of a rival party: the All-Progressives Congress (APC) to inaugurate some completed projects in the state capital, Port Harcourt.

Wike who spoke while inspecting some ongoing projects in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt local government areas of the state, on Wednesday said he has invited the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to inaugurate the newly completed Orochiri-Worukwo (Waterline Junction) flyover.

The governor also disclosed that the next project to be inaugurated will be the Ogbum-Nu-Abali Eastern Bypass and it would be done by a Former Governor, Aliyu Wammako, who is also a chieftain of the APC.

The development, according to some feelers in the PDP was said to have rattled some chieftains over the party, especially as it is coming amid ongoing crisis between Wike and the party’s 2023 Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

It would be recalled that both men fell out after Atiku refused to pick Wike as his running mate for the upcoming elections despite being recommended as the number one choice by a 16-man committee set up by the party to select a vice-presidential candidate.

Also, the absence of leading figures in the Governor Nyesom Wike Presidential Campaign Council, who are members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP at the board’s meeting on Wednesday, was said to have soared concerns in the party.

Those who weren’t sighted during the meeting held at the National Executive Council Hall at the PDP National Secretariat include Wike, Prof. Jerry Gana, and Sen. Zainab Kure.

While the reasons for the absence are not known, The New Diplomat reports that the highest advisory organ of the PDP held a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, with the aim of fine-tuning ways to end the bickering between Wike and Atiku.

However, speaking with members of the press, Chairman of the PDP BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin explained that there was nothing unusual about the absence of some members from the meeting.

According to him, while some had prior engagements, others are currently out of the country.

Jibrin said: “Some of our members are outside the country, some are indisposed, for example, the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, called me on the telephone and sent his apologies.”

“Our meeting today was very successful. After we set up our committee, we immediately went to meet with our presidential candidate, Atiku. He welcomed us and was eager to resolve all outstanding issues.

“He is also putting up his own committee to meet with us and together we will meet with Wike and others. We are making progress by God’s grace.”