PDP Crisis: Wike, Ortom, Ikpeazu, Makinde Adamant

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and three aggrieved Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday departed Nigeria.

Naija News learnt that the governors travelled to Spain after the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party urged the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu to resign after the 2023 general elections.

The other aggrieved governors include Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State), and Samuel Ortom (Benue State).

The camp of the Rivers State Governor had insisted that the national chairman of the party, Ayu must go, for its camp to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

However, Governor Wike’s camp has remained adamant on its demand that the office of the party’s National Chairman is zoned to the South to give people from the region a sense of belonging.

A source close to one of the governors, while speaking on the crisis in the party in a chat with Sunday Sun, revealed that the governors will remain in PDP but would not join the party’s presidential campaign until Ayu is removed.

The source said the governors will, “concentrate their energy in mobilizing support for PDP candidates in their respective states. But until their demand is met, they may not have anything to do with the presidential campaign.“

However, a source close to the camp of the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku disclosed that the presidential campaign would continue, adding that the party would continue to pacify the aggrieved governors.

The source said, “the train may have left the station, but it is going to stop at stations and it will take off either people who may have missed the initial take off and they will come onboard. And no one will be left behind.”

A member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the party would go into the 2023 elections if Governor Wike’s camp refuses to join the camp.

The NEC member said, “if Wike and his people insist that they won’t participate in the presidential campaign, there is nothing we can do. We will go to the election without them. It is either of two things that will happen.”