After Four Hours Of Mediation, Atiku, Wike still at loggerheads
The conflict between Peoples Democratic Party presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, and governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, is yet to be resolved.
This is after members of a committee created by Atiku and Wike, as part of the framework for the resolution of their differences, met in Port Harcourt for over four hours without achieving the desired reconciliation on Friday.
Wike has been at loggerheads with Atiku ever since the PDP candidate declined to pick him as his running mate for the 2023 election and instead, named Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State. The Rivers governor had earlier contested the presidential ticket of the party and lost to Atiku.
Former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, who led Wike’s team to the meeting held at Government House, Port Harcourt, came out saying, “This is a reconciliation process, there are some issues out there which need further deliberation when the committees meet again.”
Though, Mimiko did not disclose the main issue drawing back the reconciliation, sources said the insistence of Wike’s team that the national Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, must step down before any reconciliation can commence, remains a big issue.
Atiku’s camp was represented by Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri; Hon. Adamu Waziri and Hon. Eyitayo Jegede.
Those on Governor Wike’s team were former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoki; Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke; former Governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo and Mimiko.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Fintiri stated that talks were ongoing to achieve the desired objectives.
This, he opined, is in cognisance of the fact that Nigerians were waiting patiently for the PDP to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2023, and redeem the country from the bad governance brought about by the current federal government.
He urged Nigerians to be patient and expressed optimism that at the end of the day the committee would broker peace, unify the party and Nigerians.
“We are aware that Nigerians are anxious and waiting for the PDP to take over government in 2023. We have met as leaders, members of the same political family and we have opened the discussion, work is in progress and we will continue.
“At the end of the day, we will broker peace and we will unify the party and Nigerians.”
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