Fresh efforts by the camp of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, to woo Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and other PDP governors in the G5 into the Presidential Campaign Committee of the party, suffered a hitch, during the week.
But despite the fresh setback an ally of Atiku, Dino Melaye remains optimistic of a truce between the two sides soon.
Wike, on Saturday took a swipe at some of Atiku’s loyalists in his state who he said were linking him to political violence.
The latest peace talks between the Atiku camp and Wike’s supporters stalled partly because of the intense rivalry in the Benue State chapter of the party between the state Governor Sam Ortom and the PDP National Chairman,Dr.Iyorchia Ayu.
Ortom is an ally of Wike and Ayu, a strong supporter of Atiku.
Wike and his colleagues in the G5 are demanding Ayu’s resignation as chairman as condition for peace.
According to sources, a scheduled meeting of the conciliators and chieftains of the Integrity Group failed to hold during the week.
It was also gathered that following growing concerns from many quarters within and outside the opposition party that Atiku may not win the 2023 presidential election without the support of the aggrieved governors and their supporters, the leadership of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council agreed that fresh efforts should be made to appeal to Wike and others to join the campaign in the interest of the party. Atiku, who had earlier resolved to move on with his campaign without the G5 governors, was convinced to support the proposed reconciliation effort. Some governors of the party were saddled with the assignment.
One of them is Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, who is also the Director-General of Atiku’s presidential campaign.
Tambuwal had met with some members of the Integrity Group two weeks ago. Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and Atiku’s running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, were said to have made overtures to some of the aggrieved governors and their supporters, in a bid to end the face-off and have the angry party members back in the mainstream of the party ahead of the February 2023 presidential election.
Sources said apart from urging Ortom to support Atiku’s ambition, Tambuwal during his meeting with the Benue State governor, pleaded with him to persuade other members of the G5 and their supporters.
“Internal party wrangling is normal and what we have been having is not a war of attrition but disagreement,” Tambuwal said at the end of the meeting.
Continuing, he said: “We, even in our families, have reasons to disagree several times and even come back stronger. So, it’s a work in progress. We are interested in bringing everybody together and working together.”
Responding, Ortom said: “The leadership of this party has failed in taking advantage of the challenges of the party and make it stronger. They have failed to do this.
“Rather, it is arrogance, it is nonchalant attitude. Nobody has cared to reach out to us even when we voiced out that things weren’t going well. For me, I commend him (Tambuwal) for taking this step to visit me and we have discussed my opinion on how I think this matter can be resolved and I believe that as a leader and as DG of the campaign, he will do the needful because I am not alone.”
However, Tambuwal’s visit, it was gathered, did not achieve much as supporters of the Benue State Governor rejected any talk of reconciliation with Ayu and his allies in the state.
A source conversant with the dispute said: “Senator Ayu is the problem and Tambuwal saw things for himself when he came. He was shown the many atrocities being committed by the National Chairman and his people here in Benue. “How do you reconcile us with such people? The problem has been localised by Ayu and his people and it will be difficult to solve.
“That is why the follow up meeting promised by Tambuwal did not take place.”
Also, other parleys held as part of the renewed peace move were deadlocked as members of the G5 and their supporters allegedly insisted on the resignation of Ayu as a condition for reconciliation talks. Consequently, Tambuwal and others in search of reconciliation within the PDP are said to currently be in a fix as they do not know what to do next given Atiku’s position that removing Ayu at a time like this is not in the interest of the party.
Wike, Ortom and governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, are unrelenting in their demand for Ayu’s exit as PDP national chairman.
Some of the prominent PDP leaders that have openly identified with the aggrieved governors are former governors Olusegun Mimiko from Ondo State, Ayo Fayose from Ekiti State, Donald Duke from Cross River State, Jonah Jang from Plateau State and former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George from Lagos State. Others are former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke; Deputy National Chairman South of the PDP, Taofeek Arapaja; Senator Nasif Suleiman, Nnena Ukeje, Senator Sandy Onor, the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Cross River State, and Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.
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