Atiku Vs. Wike: PDP Is Facing Uncertain Future – Party Leaders Cry Out

Some members of the leadership of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have cried out that the crisis between the party’s flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is tearing the party apart.

According to them, if nothing is done to resolve the crisis, the future of the party is uncertain with the events unfolding.

Naija News recalls that Wike and his G5 colleagues refused to work for the emergence of Atiku in the wake of the 2023 presidential election. They have demanded the resignation of the embattled former PDP chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, for a person of southern extraction.

While it is widely believed that Wike worked for Tinubu and was rewarded by the president with a ministerial appointment, the former Rivers Stae governor has refused to leave the PDP.

Even though there have been several calls for his expulsion from the PDP, this platform gathered that the leadership is divided about this.

Speaking with The Punch on Friday, a two-time former governor from the North-West said the party’s National Working Committee is divided over Atiku and Wike.

The former governor, who pleaded anonymity, said the two leaders are dividing the party with their utterances, and the future of the party might be worse than it is currently if urgent steps were not taken to address the crisis.

He explained that while it seems Wike and his group worked against Atiku, he was equally instrumental in the victory of some national officers of the party. So while many fell out with him for working against the party, some remained loyal to him.

The former governor said, “The two leaders (Atiku and Wike) are dividing the leadership of the party with their utterances, and this is not good for us as a party in opposition.

 “The party is facing an uncertain future. As a leader of the party, I am shocked that Mr. Umar Damagum (the acting national chairman) is yet to present his plan for the party before the stakeholders. He is torn between his loyalty to Atiku and Wike. As things stand, things would only get worse because either Atiku or Wike must give way for the party to breathe.

“My stand is that the leadership of the party should stand its ground and deal with those who worked against the party. If this is not done, discipline will be difficult to enforce in the future.”

Meanwhile, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, has insisted that Wike be expelled from the party for his antiparty activities.

According to him, the youth wing of the party does not believe in sacred cows and should not indulge Wike further, adding that the party would do better without him.

Osadolor told the platform, “I’m of the school of thought that former governor Wike should be expelled from the party until he purges himself of the anti-party spirit that has taken over him. For the youth wing of the party, we believe that discipline should be instilled in all members without exception when they err. There should be no sacred cows.

“We believe strongly that the party will stand to gain more when it shows it does not support anti-party activities from members, especially senior members of the party. Wike has shown he is against PDP, and therefore he should not claim to have her interest at heart.”

However, a former National Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Tsauri, on his own part, said the party would wait on the judgement of the Supreme Court on the election petition to decide the next step.

He said, “Like I always say, no single individual is big enough to kill the PDP, which is the only organised and truly national party in Nigeria. We will deal with these issues at the appropriate time.”