2023: Details Of PDP BoT’s Meeting With Atiku Emerge

The details of the meeting between members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have emerged.

Naija News recalls that PDP BoT led by its Chairman and former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, had last week met with the party’s Vice Presidential candidate and Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Wabara had said the delegation would also meet with Atiku and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to reconcile their differences.

True to his words, the BoT chairman led his team to meet with the former Vice President at his Abuja residence on Sunday to find a solution to the crisis rocking the party and the way forward for the party.

Speaking with The Punch, a PDP stalwart privy to discussions at the meeting said the delegation met with Atiku in Abuja after meeting his running mate.

He said the meeting with the presidential candidate was important so as to know his thinking before the BoT members meet with Wike in Port Harcourt today.

The PDP chieftain said they discussed how the crisis could be resolved and how the party can appease Wike and his colleagues as soon as possible before the campaigns begin proper.

He revealed that Atiku said he was ready to work with the aggrieved governors, but the issue facing the party is allowing the party National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to step down and the constitutional crisis it may create.

He said, “The BoT members met Atiku in Abuja on Sunday. Remember they had met the vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa on Saturday. The meeting with Atiku was important because they needed to know the presidential candidate’s mind ahead of the meeting with Wike in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

“During the meeting, they discussed how the crisis could be resolved and how the party can placate the aggrieved governors before the campaign begins in earnest. But as usual, the presidential candidate said he was ready to work with the aggrieved governors. Remember he also had met with Wike on Thursday.

“So, he explained the challenges the party is having about asking Ayu to go, especially the constitutional crisis it may create. However, they also held some private discussions on what to do to placate the Wike faction.”