JUST IN: PDP NWC meets Thursday on Atiku, Wike, campaign

The National Executive Council of the Peoples Democratic Party will hold its meeting on Thursday, September 8, 2022.

A member of the party’s NEC confirmed this to Saturday PUNCH on Friday on condition of anonymity.

The NEC is expected to discuss the crisis involving the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Citing unforeseen circumstances, the party had postponed its National Caucus and NEC meetings earlier scheduled for August 10 and 11, 2022.

However, unconfirmed reports attributed the development to the clamour for the removal of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu.

The camp of the Rivers governor had demanded Ayu’s resignation as one of the conditions that must be fulfilled to resolve the post-presidential primary crisis rocking the opposition party.

The crisis ensued after Atiku defeated Wike in the presidential primary of the party.

Though a panel recommended Wike as Atiku’s running mate, the presidential candidate instead picked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate, to the displeasure of the Rivers governor and his supporters.

Wike’s supporters argued that it is unfair for the party’s chairman and its presidential flag-bearer to hail from the same region.

But the crisis in the party has taken a turn for the worse in the last few days with Ayu taking a swipe at Wike and his loyalists for demanding his removal from office.

He described them as youngsters who lacked the knowledge of how the party was formed.

Wike, in his response, also lampooned the party chairman, saying he would help him to lose the 2023 poll.

Asked if the NEC would deliberate on the calls for Ayu’s resignation, the NEC member stated, “The meeting has been slated for Thursday, September 8, 2022. We are not discussing any resignation issue, we have passed that stage.’’

When prodded if the NEC would discuss Wike’s romance with leading All Progressives Congress members, the PDP chieftain said, “Wike’s romance with other parties is not an issue; he is still a party man. He has candidates vying for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and other offices. What will he do with those people? He is going nowhere.’’

Another credible source told Saturday PUNCH that, “The agenda of the meeting is not disclosed to NEC members; it is a tradition of the NEC that the agenda is read to members during the meeting. So, the agenda is not revealed.’’

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said the media should wait for the outcome of the NEC meeting.

‘Wike, PDP united’

Meanwhile, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, has said the current internal wrangling won’t affect the party’s chances in the 2023 general elections.

Ologunagba stated this while interacting with journalists in Abuja.

According to him, the misunderstanding will soon be resolved.

He said the party was working towards unveiling its national campaign council for the 2023 presidential election.

“The PDP is alive. We are active and we are working hard on our mission statement. We are working on our campaign council. In a couple of days it will be unveiled for the people to see.

“Irrespective of what we are reading in the newspapers, I can tell you that the PDP is firm and ready for the 2023 general elections. We tell our members and Nigerians that the PDP is here and the darkness is going and the countdown has started,” Ologunagba said.

He added that the party’s leaders were committed to addressing Nigeria’s challenges, including that of the economy, security and university lecturers’ strike.

“The key is this: the entire members of this party, leaders and stakeholders agreed on one issue; that Nigeria is the main issue and that we must rescue the country.’’