Atiku/Wike feud and PDP’s health ahead of 2023

As the ember months are getting closer, so is the 2023 general election fast approaching. The elections are about six months away, that is, February 2023. As usual, every election period in Nigeria always takes new dimensions, coupled with a series of preparations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders.

Asides INEC, political parties, civil society organisations and security agencies are also involved in the plan to ensure smooth conduct of elections. Unarguably, election is a serious business in the Nigerian democratic system, hence the need for stakeholders to be actively involved in the electoral process, ahead of the poll.

It is well over a month that major political parties in the country, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) concluded their presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly primaries.

After the exercise, the two major parties are still battling with issues that arose from the primaries. Irrespective of their seeming irreconcilable differences of political actors, the general election will hold as expected by February next year. In PDP for instance, there are issues yet to be resolved on the outcome of the presidential primary, and the choice of Vice Presidential candidate of the party.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who lost the presidential ticket of the PDP to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is embittered over the choice of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as vice presidential candidate, as ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Governor Wike had lobbied for the vice presidential slot after losing the presidential ticket but was also denied for Okowa’s emergence. Okowa’s choice didn’t go down well with Wike and his camp. The governor did not only fault the process, he also accused the party of sidelining the Southern part of the country in its arrangements.

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Recently, a 14-member reconciliation committee was constituted by the party to settle the rift between Atiku and Wike’s camps. The committee is expected to look into Governor Wike’s grievances and that of the leaders in his camp and make recommendations on how the candidate of the party and the NWC will address the issues.

The key demand of Governor Wike’s camp is the resignation of the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, whose resignation is described as important in addressing the alleged marginalisation of the south in the leadership position of the party. As a political analyst and supporter of PDP, I need to state categorically that the feud between Atiku and Wike’s camps are unhealthy for the PDP, a party that is willing to wrestle power from incumbent.

By now, members of the party in their various units, wards, local and state should have begun sensitisation towards 2023 general elections, but the national working committee which is expected to provide leadership for that task is not settle yet, because of the crisis. Till date, some serving and past governors are on the side of Governor Wike, while some drum support for Atiku. Issues like these are not only dangerous for the party, but also demoralising party members. The candidate of PDP should find a way to effectively manage Governor Wike and other aggrieved Governors in the interest of the party.

Going by the voting pattern and records, in the entire South after Lagos, Rivers is next in terms of voting strength. Also, the votes in Rivers State will cover some states in the South-South. This time, nobody is inferior, if truly PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is ready to wrest power from All Progressives Congress at the federal level.

Another issue that deserves urgent attention is reshuffling the NWC. Going by the zoning method,if presidential candidate comes from North, chairman of the party should be zoned to another region.

Currently, national chairman, Board of Trustees chair and presidential candidate are from the northern part of the country. Therefore, there’s need to reshuffle the NWC for the progress of the PDP.

There is no doubt that Nigerians are tired of the APC government under President Muhammadu Buhari, hence the need for the PDP to get it right and embark on “reset Nigeria” agenda. It is obvious that nothing is working in Nigeria anymore; the economy has collapsed and the security of lives and property is no longer guaranteed. The onus is on Atiku and the NWC of the PDP to get it right and save the country from total collapse.

The PDP leaders must bury their ego and work collectively for the advancement of the PDP. This is a golden opportunity for the party to return to power at the federal level and it must not be missed.

Oluwole–ALA writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.

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