The former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has waded into the party’s crisis in the Kogi ahead of the November 16 gubernatorial election in the state.
The former vice president stated that unity among the warring factions is needed to win the poll.
Newsflash247 gathered that Atiku met with the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Engr Musa Wada, in Dubai and also met with Senator Dino Melaye, one of the contenders for the party’s ticket, on how to mend the cracks that became bigger after the party’s primaries.
A source quoted in the report said Atiku decided to wade into the crisis and ensure reconciliation, following Melaye’s rejection of the offer to lead the PDP governorship electioneering campaign in the state.
Musa Wada, the PDP governorship candidate was said to have reached out to Atiku to wade into the matter after meeting with his brother, and former governor of the state, Idris Wada.
Newsflash247 further gathered that the inability to achieve reconciliations between the PDP governorship aspirants especially, stalled the flag-off of the main electioneering campaign.
Atiku is also expected to meet with the former governor of Kogi state, Ibrahim Idris, to reconcile him with his son, Suleiman, who is believed to be the sponsor of the PDP governorship candidate.
The source said: “The essence of Atiku meeting the former Kogi state governor is to make him ensure that his son withdraws his suit against Wada from the court and pave the way for the flag-off of the governorship campaign in the state.
“The crisis in Kogi state PDP is becoming intractable because the former governor who ruled the state between 2003 and 2011 is at war with his son, Suleiman and his mother for supporting Jubrin Isa for the governorship election.
So, in 2019, the children of Ibrahim Idris saw it as an opportunity to pay back their father in his own coin by supporting Musa Wada against the person whom their father is supporting, Mohammed Ibrahim.
“The matter is so delicate as the winner of the 2019 PDP governorship is the younger brother of the former governor who ruled the state from 2011 to 2015.”
According to the source, Atiku’s main assignment is to persuade the former governor to ask his son to withdraw his court action against his brother-in-law who is married to his blood sister.
Atiku, it was learnt, will ensure that the former governor supports the PDP governorship candidate.
Meanwhile, the Natasha Akpoti Campaign Organization has condemned and rejected the recent purported disqualification of the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Barrister Natasha Akpoti, on the grounds of the age of her running mate.
Newsflash247 had earlier reported that Musa Wada emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Kogi governorship election fixed for November 16.
Newsflash247 gathered that Musa Wada is a younger brother of former governor of the state , Captain Idris Wada and in-law to former governor Ibrahim Idris (Ibro).
Wada polled a total of 748 votes to defeat his closed opponent Ibrahim Abubakar, who polled 710 votes.
The election is slated to hold November 16, 2019.
He would be facing the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the seat of the no.1 citizen of the state.
