Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, reportedly convened a closed-door meeting with key allies from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to strategize on thwarting former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s bid to control the party’s leadership, according to a reliable source.
Recently, Atiku attended a significant meeting of PDP leaders and stakeholders in Abuja, where he emphasized its productivity and collaborative energy.
However, further details about the meeting were not disclosed by Atiku himself.
The source revealed to Daily Trust on Sunday that the meeting’s primary objective was to discuss the succession of Iyorchia Ayu as the PDP National Chairman, aiming to support the candidacy of one of the former governors.
The attendees of the meeting were said to be loyalists of Atiku, with the exclusion of members from the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).
The objective behind this approach was to prevent any interference from conflicting factions within the party.
The source disclosed that the meeting’s central purpose was to prevent Nyesom Wike from asserting control over the PDP’s structure and ensuring that one of his supporters would assume the position of national chairman.
The fear among Atiku’s allies was that such a scenario would grant Wike excessive influence, both as a potential minister and as a dominant force within the party, posing a threat to the party’s stability.
Earlier this year, the executive committee of Igyorov ward in Benue State suspended Iyorchia Ayu from the PDP, citing alleged anti-party activities.
A court injunction was also issued to prevent Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman based on a suit filed by a party member from Benue.
In the run-up to the 2023 presidential elections, the G5-governors, led by Nyesom Wike, had demanded Ayu’s resignation as national chairman after Atiku Abubakar emerged as the PDP’s presidential candidate.
The G5-governors contended that the party’s national chairman and presidential candidate should not both hail from the North.
The G5-governors included Wike, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Samuel Ortom (Benue).
The situation has intensified the struggle for power within the party, leading Atiku Abubakar to mobilize his supporters to ensure a favorable outcome for the PDP’s leadership succession.
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