Alhaji Abubakar Atiku must commit to serving a term of four years only if elected in next year’s presidential election, and the immediate resignation of the National Chairman of the party Dr Iyorchia Ayu, for a Southerner in line with the North-South sharing formula as written in the party constitution are some of the conditions for peace given by the group loyal to the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.
These conditions and others including sharing the position of the Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and ministerial positions are to be presented to Atiku Abubakar in the presence of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Working Committee (NWC) during a meeting scheduled to hold tomorrow, Wednesday 3rd August 2022, according to a source.
It was also gathered in Abuja, yesterday, that the members of the state coordinators of the Wike Presidential Campaign Council, particularly governors, after reviewing happenings in the party since the PDP presidential primary and selection of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as running mate, agreed that Wike deserves to be treated better.
They, however, noted that regardless of the way they were treated by Alhaji Atiku and other leaders of the party, their individual and collective interests would be better served within the party.
A source familiar with this development who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to hamper ongoing reconciliation efforts, said: “A date for the meeting (between the party leadership and Wike) has not yet been agreed on. Wike has been silent since this whole thing started. We expect a cessation of the insults being heaped on him by some party leaders. He deserves respect, to disrespect him is to say we no longer matter.
“All party members who supported the aspiration of Governor Wike look forward to the meeting between the party, the presidential aspirant and him. It is not on the pages of newspapers; no one has approached him for a face-to-face meeting.
“He (Wike) is upset; we all are. But we are not averse to a peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues. As a group, we look forward to committing the presidential candidate with the party leadership serving as witnesses.
“It will not be too much for us to produce the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, either the Senate Presidency or the Speakership in addition to some ministerial and heads of parastatal slots when our party wins in 2023.
“We will also expect Atiku and his people to make offers for us to consider going forward. We are party men and women; we deserve to be carried along.”