Govs, Atiku, Wike Battle for Soul of PDP as NEC Meets Thursday

Chuks Okocha writes that all interest groups in the Peoples Democratic Party including governors, former Vice President Atiku Abubukar and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, are struggling for supremacy as the party’s National Executive Committee meets in Abuja on Thursday.

All is set for the April 18, 2024 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja. This meeting is very crucial being the first to be held in about one and half years since October 2022.

There has been a lot of in fighting over the control of the party principally from three camps namely the governors of the party,  former Vice President Atiku Abubukar and  Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) is the chess board for the leadership supremacy game.

Contrary to speculations that this week’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting could be battle for supremacy between the former vice president, Atiku Abubukar and the Minister of the Federal Captital Territory (FCT), there are indications that governors elected on the platform of the party are actually warming up to take full control of the party.

According to reliable sources, the governors are basing their action on being the major financiers of the party.

A source from the PDP governors forum asked, “what is Nyesom Wike and Atiku contributing in the day to day running of the party.?”

The source added, “you watch out what will happen on the day of the NEC meeting, the piper will dictate the tune of the music that day”

THISDAY gathered that as a run up to the series of meeting to the NEC meeting on Thursday, the governors are positioning themselves to dictate the pace at which the meeting will go.

Another source from the secretariat of the PDP Governors forum said, “the Governors have their own plan, which will be neither Atiku nor Wike. The PDP governors would be holding their meetings as from Tuesday and Wednesday and thereafter come up with their own position, that would be different from what everyone is expecting.

“We are a party in opposition, the governors are our collegiate leaders, unlike when PDP was in power and the President is the leader of the party. So, no single person can control the party”.

It was further gathered that the first meeting of the governors on Wednesday and attending the party caucus meetings would draw the line in the roles they will play during the Thursday NEC meeting.

According to the source, “no matter the position or alignments of the National Working Committee, it would be difficult for them to execute any plan without the full cooperation of the governors because they bring money for the day to day running of the party.

“The governors maintain and service the party structures in the states as the leaders of the party. It would be absolutely difficult for them to remain on the sidelines and allow Atiku and Wike to control the party structures at both the states and the centre. These governors are politicians and have interests to protect. That they are governors today does not mean that they will not have political interest tomorrow.

“For instance, the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has presidentiial ambition and this is common knowledge, therefore, he is not expected to fold his hands and allow Wike and Atiku to determine his fate.

“There are other governors who will be concluding their second term in office as governors, they have other political interests and therefore it can not be said that Atiku and Wike would be allowed to control the structures to their exclusion. Look at what is happening in Rivers State, do you think Governor Simi Fubara will just look and allow Wike to control the party in the state?.

“Already, what is happening in the state will be moved up to the national level, so, it is not fair to say that Wike and Atiku will have the control of the party”, the source further explained.

He hinted that between Tuesday and Wednesday, a day preceding the NEC meeting, there would be many concessions and compromises..

Meanwhile a new twist has emerged in the move to replace the suspended national Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu as the exercise may be in futility except the suspended National Chairman voluntarily resigns or withdraws the suits he instituted in the courts.

PDP lawyers told THISDAY that it is a common knowledge that no action is taken on any action pending at any of the courts, be it appeal or at the supreme court

Section 45 (2) of the PDP constitution amended in 2017 titled,  “Resignation or removal of national chairman” stated that:

“In the case of the National Chairman; he shall hand over to the Deputy National Chairman from his own region/part of the country who shall, without prejudice to Section 47 (6) of this Constitution, act as the National Chairman pending the election of a replacement. In the case of National Secretary, he shall hand over to the Deputy National Secretary”.

Also, in Section 47 (6), the same party constitution said, “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the Party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer”.

One of the lawyers, Chuks Akwiti said  unlike Secondus who kept quite when he was removed because he has less than two months to leave office, it is different from Ayu who has more than two years to leave office.

He said, “it is common knowledge to act on a case pending in the appellate courts. “What will happen if Ayu is replaced today and the court rules otherwise. The best option is for the party to plead with Ayu to withdraw his appeal against his removal.”

When THISDAY contacted Ayu’s lawyer, Chief E.K. Ashiekaa (SAN), he refused to comment on whether the suspended national chairman has withdrawn his appeal from court of appeal or not.

Rather, he directed our reporter to go and ask the party’s  National Legal Adviser but all attempts to reach him proved abortive as his telephone number was switched off.

However, a lawyer in the party confirmed to THISDAY that the party will not take any decision on a matter that is pending in court, but said the issue of Ayu’s case being in court is political.

He explained, “when Ayu was removed by his ward in Gboko, in Benue State, he appealed his removal and the party as well appealed his removal, but later, the office of the National Legal Adviser asked PDP’s lawyer to withdraw the appeal, but Ayu did not withdrew his appeal”.

The lawyer said members of the NWC are using sections 45 (2) and 46 (7) in the party’s constitution to perpetuate the acting national chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum in office because the PDP Constitution recognises his acting position.

He explained that unless Ayu is persuaded to withdraw his appeal pending at the court of appeal, there may be no election of a substantive chairman.

Also, for the PDP NEC, who controls the party in Rivers State would be important to it. In all the PDP states, like in other states the control of the party structures at the state level is vested in the governors.So, Rivers State will not be an exception.

The NEC may also look at the situation in Rivers State where 25 members of the State house of assembly elected under the PDP defected to the APC allegedly under the instruction of Wike.

The main contender to the struggle for the party structure is Wike who had said severally that he will not contest against President Bola Tinubu, but his intention is to further weaken the PDP and ensure an easy victory for Tinubu during 2027 poll.

Hence, under the circumstance, who controls the PDP party structures at the national level will have an upper hand.

It is for this reason that there is palpable tension in the PDP over the control of the soul of the party by former Vice President  Abubakar and ex-governor Wike.

THISDAY gathered that the  NWC led by the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Damagun, had been unwilling to summon the NEC meeting due to the continuing intrigues between Atiku and Wike camps.

The rivalry between the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election and the former Rivers State Governor is a fallout of the presidential primary and the subsequent selection of the running mate of the party.

Atiku’s refusal to pick Wike as the vice presidential candidate after defeating him in the presidential primary, created a wedge in their relationship and by extension, the PDP.

Wike thereafter worked against the election of the former vice president by throwing his support behind the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, to win the election.

Even though he is not a member of the committee having left office as a state governor, Wike is believed to be keen to control its affairs despite working full time for the APC administration.

The former Rivers State governor still retains the loyalty of key members of the committee and the NWC who are likely to do his bidding rather than that of Atiku who is regarded as defector leader of the PDP.

For instance, it was gathered that the national secretary of the party, Sam Anyanwu, the national vice chairman (South), Dan Orbih, the deputy national chairman for south, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja are key Wike loyalists who openly hobnob with him.

The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, a close ally of the FCT Minister is also a member of NEC.

It was learnt that the presence of Wike’s supporters in the PDP organs is one of the reasons the NWC has been unable to act on his alleged anti-party activities, which the NEC is now likely to consider.

One of the issues to be raised by the Atiku’s camp during the NEC meeting is the anti party activities of Wike. His role in the PDP is very suspicious as he is perceived as a mole. Though, Wike had severally claimed that his accepting the ministerial position in an APC government was with the knowledge of the members of the NWC of the party.

The Atiku’s camp, it was learnt, will be calling for the suspension of Wike and members of his old G5 governors group for anti party activities, but another group, is said to be canvassing for the issue to be rested for good. The group argued that any further disciplinary action will further divide or weaken the PDP. 

In all these, it is not certain, whether or not Wike would be attending the NEC meeting on Thursday but surely his allies and supporters will be there, as those of them who are members of the NEC  have been invited.