The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday said it will arrange a meeting between Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
The BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, disclosed this on Monday, saying the board is keen in resolving the conflict once and for all.
Mr Wike came second in the presidential primaries that produced Mr Atiku as opposition party’s flag bearer in Abuja.
The duo parted ways when Mr Atiku picked Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate, instead of Mr Wike who was reportedly recommended by some members of the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Senator Jibrin said they were worried “the election of Atiku Abubakar as our presidential candidate and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as vice president is unnecessarily causing confusion among some PDP members.”
“Interestingly the BoT, the highest advisory and conscience of the party, is meeting on Wednesday 3rd August to properly address the issue by coming up with a strong Reconciliation Committee to reconcile all aggrieved members including Governor Wike.
“I want to advise all BoT Members in the Prof Jerry Gana group to attend the BoT meeting on Wednesday in order to come out with a common stand of the BoT. After the BoT meeting, we will meet with Atiku, Okowa and Wike to finally resolve the matter to make PDP stronger and very united and enable Atiku and Okowa win the election hands down.”
He said the challenges were not even up the level of crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Jibrin said, “I want to assure everyone that all plans are on ground to bring all members as one and united, because what is happening in PDP can never be compared with the situation in APC and their plans to bring religious issue of Muslim president and vice president.”
