By Ogochukwu Isioma
As part of reconciliatory moves over the fallout of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) has set up a committee to meet with the aggrieved Rivers State Governor, Barr Nyesom Wike.
This is following the crisis trailing the nomination of the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate to the PDP presidential candidate and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Chairman of the party’s BoT, Senator Walid Jibril, made the announcement in a statement on Sunday, saying the visit to Wike would take place immediately after Atiku and the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, return to the country from their vacation abroad.
The delegation will be led by Atiku along with Okowa, the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyochia Ayu and his NWC, PDP BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, Representative of BoT membership, Current 13 PDP Governors, former PDP Governors, former PDP Ministers as well as some PDP Elders from Zones and States.
metrowatchxtra gathered that part of the assignment of the powerful delegation is to pacify the aggrieved Rivers State Governor over inability of Atiku to pick him as his running mate against all expectations.
Meanwhile, the BoT Chairman Senator Jibrin said comments by some of PDP members and some prominent Nigerians on the choice of Okowa as the Vice-Presidential candidate has become worrisome which needed to be addressed without further delay.
Senator Jibrin described Wike as a very responsible and obedient PDP member who assisted tremendously in building the party to its present status. Ahead of the reconciliatory meeting with the governor, Jibrin appealed to PDP members in Rivers State not to leave the party and shun comments aimed at reducing and running down the party.
He said: “It is very important to note that Governor Wike is very responsible and very obedient member of PDP who assisted tremendously toward building the party to what it is today.
“We must therefore encourage him to never leave the party. In the light of the above, I want to appeal to all P.D.P members and leaders to shun away from unorthodox comments aimed at reducing and running down the party. We must come together and unite ourselves as earlier established by our founding fathers.
“We should therefore shun any bad comment aimed at dividing us. We must be ready to forget and forgive ourselves by encouraging Nigerians to continue supporting us and our party.
“It is my strong appeal to all current and former Governors, former Presidents of Nigeria not to add more fuel into the fire but to always try to quench the fire from spreading.
“I have noted with a great concern and great sense of feeling on the various recent comments coming from some of our PDP members and some prominent Nigerians on the choice of Chief Okowa the Governor of Delta State as the Vice Presidential Candidate, by the Presidential Candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of our Party P.D.P the biggest party not only in Nigeria but the whole of Africa.
“All the Comments and various submissions are very normal in any political set up in Nigeria today with P.D.P being the strongest and most prominent party that has all potentials to form Government in 2023. We must come back to our senses by all our members and all most responsible and respectful Nigerians by giving total support to the party to enable it form Government by holding all political positions in Nigeria in 2023.
“It is therefore very necessary that when our Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and our National Chairman, Senator Ayochia Ayu return to Nigeria very soon from abroad, the following must be done immediately”. Jibrin said.
“May I say it loud that we support all our current PDP Governors for their greatest assistance to the party always.
“May I also specifically thank all our former Presidents of Nigeria especially, General Yakubu Gowon General Olusegun Obasanjo General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Mr. Ebele Jonathan Goodluck and other leaders like
General Aliyu Gusau.
“All Present, former Party Chairmen in all the States, our National Assembly Members, past and present
BOT members, past and present, all our youths and women as well as all Nigerians,” the statement read.
