PDP Crisis: G5 Govs to Miss Party’s Presidential Campaign Flag-off
By Ozumi Abdul
As Uyo, the ever busy City Capital of Akwa Ibom State comes alive today for the presidential campaign flag off of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), amid reconciliation issues with Wike, allies, indications have emerged that the G5 governors of the party might be missing on the podium because of the protracted internal crisis rocking the party.
Already thousands of party faithful and supporters across the country are thronging the state-owned stadium to witness the event.
Multiple sources, however, said that the flag-off of the campaign has not been without some headache to the party’s leadership which has found it rather herculean to resolve ongoing crisis between Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and some of the governors calling for the replacement of Iyorchia Ayu as a condition for participating in paty’s electioneering .
A particular source hinted that efforts by the PDP Board of Trustees ( BoT) to resolve the crisis may have hit the rocks as the major gladiators have refused to shift grounds.
“While the group of five PDP governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State are insisting that the National chairman, Iyorchia Ayu must be replaced, ahead of the 2023 polls, the latter has continued to insist that he would not resign his position,” the source said.
It was learnt that the peace initiative by the PDP BoT is yet to achieve the desired goal, as the source noted that the G5 governors will not be in Uyo today for the party’s presidential campaign flag off “except there is any sudden change of plan.”
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Also, a source close to Ortom said though the Benue State governor showed up at the launch of the autobiography of former PDP chairman, late Solomon Lar, in Abuja last week, he has no plan to participate in Uyo campaign flag off today.
“I am sure that if Ortom is not attending the Uyo campaign it means the G5 governors may not be attending”, the source said.
The opposition party has been enmeshed in crisis following the nomination of Atiku and the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively.
Since then, the Wike camp which include Governors Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu and Seyi Makinde of Benue, Enugu, Abia and Oyo states have continued to insist that the Ayu must be replaced with a Southerner, ahead of the election, to strike a North/ South balance in the PDP, as a condition for reconcilation in the party.
Other members of the group include former PDP deputy national chairman, Olabode George, former Minister of Information Jerry Gana, as well as some former governors and former members of the National Assembly amongst others.
Last month, the Wike camp governor announced their withdrawal from the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) pending Ayu’s replacement. While Atiku has said that he cannot force the national chairman to resign, Ayu has continued to insist that he would not resign as he was elected for a tenure of four years.
Last week, the BoT led by the acting chairman, Adolphus Wabara, met with Wike in Port Harcourt, over the party crisis. At the end of meeting, the Board, which had earlier met with the other aggrieved governors, as well as the PDP vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, said it was better informed about the crisis, and would come up with a position soon, after meeting with more critical stakeholders.
