April 7,2024.
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Ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for April 18, there is palpable tension over the battle for the control of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) by the camps of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, investigation has revealed.
The tension emanated from revelations that Wike will remain in the PDP and work for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election, while Atiku will contest for the PDP’s presidential ticket.
The North-central is expected to present its anointed candidate for the position of the party’s National Chairman to NEC on April 18.
Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam and former Minister of Police Affairs, Humphrey Abba, have indicated an interest in succeeding the sacked substantive National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
However, the two contenders, who are also from Benue State where Ayu hails from, have refused to publicly align with Atiku or Wike’s camp for strategic reasons as such move may backfire and cost any of them the position.
Naija247news gathered that with Wike’s body language, which indicates that he will likely work for the APC in the 2027 presidential election, stakeholders in the PDP are concerned that if the party’s structure slips into his hands, he will weaken the party to pave the way for the victory of the APC.
Wike had said severally that he would not contest against President Bola Tinubu in 2027 which implied that he would work for the re-election of the president against his party’s presidential candidate as he did in the 2023 general election.
His critics believe his strategy is to seize the PDP’s structure and further weaken the party to ensure an easy ride for the APC presidential candidate in 2027.
“Wike claims to be in PDP; he has refused to resign officially. But he is working for APC administration. If he is handed over the party’s structure, he will weaken it for the APC to retain power in 2027.
“It is for this reason that there is palpable tension in the party over who will have the upper hand in the battle to control the soul of the party by both camps,” a member of NEC said.
Newsmen gathered that the NWC led by the acting National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagun, had been reluctant to summon the NEC meeting due to the continued intrigues between Atiku and Wike’s camps.
The rivalry between the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election and the former Rivers State governor was a fallout of the party’s presidential primary and the subsequent selection of the presidential running mate of the party.
Atiku’s refusal to pick Wike as the vice-presidential candidate after defeating him in the presidential primary drove a wedge into their relationship and created cracks in the PDP.
Wike consequently worked against the election of the former vice president by throwing his support behind the then-candidate of the APC, Tinubu.(www.naija247news.com)
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