PDP Crises: Wike Meets With Some PDP Governors, Ex-Govs, Other Chieftains

Ilesanmi AdekanbiAugust 1, 2022

2 minutes read

Wike meets governors — Governor Nyesom Wike with some governors, former governors, and others during a meeting at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on July 31, 2022.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is currently in a closed-door meeting with some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday, hosted a crucial meeting with some governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who coordinated his presidential campaign.

The meeting was held behind closed doors at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Those at the meeting include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state.

Also at the meeting are former governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke; former governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam; former Ondo state governor, Olusegun Mimiko and former Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson.

The former governor of Kogi state, Ibrahim Idris; former Plateau state governor, Jonah Jang; Prof. Jerry Gana, and Kano PDP governorship candidate, Mohammed Abacha were present.

Others include Former PDP Deputy National Vice Chairman North, Suleiman Nazif, former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mohammed Adoke, and member of the House of Representatives from Kogi State, Tijjani Yusuf among others.

The agenda of the meeting was not made public, but sources close to the meeting revealed that the agenda revolved around the seemingly intractable post-presidential primary crisis which is threatening to split the party.

Former Minister of Information and North Central Coordinator of the Wike Presidential campaign, Jerry Gana, in his brief remarks after the closed-door meeting, said, “This is the first meeting we are holding with all our candidates in the states after the primaries. We are united are one.

Gana who is also a member of the PDP Board of Trustees added that “We know that developments will unfold and when they do, we shall brief Nigerians.”

The source stated that “members only reviewed what transpired during the primary”, adding that “what our next line of action should be since no one has deemed it fit to sit down with our principal and discuss as genuine party men should.”

In May, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar polled 371 votes to emerge as the PDP’s flagbearer ahead of Wike who scored 237 votes to come second in the party’s presidential primary.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki (70); Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel (38), Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed (38), Former Senate President Pius Anyim (14), Mrs Tari Diana Oliver (One), and Mr Sam Ohuabunwa (1) shared the remainder of the valid votes.

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Weeks after the primary was held, the PDP presidential candidate named Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate in the forthcoming election.

This, however, led to a disagreement among party stakeholders as some commended the choice of Okowa while others rejected it, saying Atiku should have picked Wike who was the runner-up in the primary in the stead of his Delta counterpart.

In a bid to address the perceived grievances of the governor, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP set up a reconciliatory committee to meet with Wike of Rivers State over the fallout of the party’s presidential primary and crisis trailing the nomination of a running mate.