ALL seems not to be well in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the failure of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubukar, to appease Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State after sidetracking him in the race for his running mate.
Governor Sam Ortom of Benue State gave the indication on Wednesday as he accused party leadership and the presidential standard-bearer of disrespecting the first runners-up in the PDP presidential primary.
Speaking in a live interview with Arise Television, the Benue State governor who chaired the committee set up by Atiku to help him arrive at a suitable running mate, revealed that rather than go to Wike in person, Atiku and the party leadership were trying to talk to him over the phone.
He recalled that 14 out of the 17 members of the committee had recommended Wike for the position of the vice presidential candidate but the recommendation was jettisoned by Atiku in favour of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
Ortom said despite the humiliation of the Rivers governor, they had done nothing to appease him to get him to support the PDP.
He also recalled how Wike had sustained the main opposition party when other prominent members deserted it after it lost power in 2015.
Ortom said, “My friend Governor Wike deserves a vacation after the trauma that he went through. Some of us believe that he has the capacity and the charisma to lead this country from bottom to top compared to what has been happening.
“Unfortunately, Nigerians or the PDP people did not give him the opportunity.
“Some of us rooted for him, I was amongst the 17-member committee that was set up by the candidate himself and the party. And some of us said that, for the vice presidency, for those of us in PDP, we needed Wike to be the vice president so that he can bridge the gap.
“When we said it in our meeting, we said that, look, it doesn’t matter whether he supported the presidential candidate or not, all that we’re looking is unity, and how we can make this work.
“Unfortunately, it was said that it is Okowa, who is also a PDP member today. That is the wisdom of the presidential candidate.
“Some of us, I want to tell you that I have resorted back to prayers because I’m really confused, because I felt that Wike would have been the vice president. He was the second person to Atiku. Wike has the charisma.
“It doesn’t matter. All of us have our weaknesses; But when it comes to mobilization and impact, and value addition, or reaching out, or making sure that a party works, Wike is an instrument. Wike is somebody who stood for the party, made sure that things worked.”
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
On whether he will support Atiku, he said, “I told you that I am praying. I’ve gone into hibernation. And I’m praying. I’m fasting. I’m praying. So if God directs me, as He has always done, if God directs me that I should support Atiku, why should I not do it?
“After all he’s my party man, but I’m waiting for Him. There are more that is expected.
“Okowa is a nice man; he is my friend and I have no problem with him. But if we’re in a democratic era, 14 people out of 17 said that it should be Wike and he (Atiku) in his wisdom gave it to Okowa, I expect more explanation. I expect him to talk to Wike first that we’re supporting. I expect him to even reach out to some of us so that together, we can work as a party.
“But the bottom line is that for me, I’ve gone into hibernation and I’m praying and at the end, whatever God directs me, I can assure you that I will do it.”
Meanwhile, the Centre for Integrity and Good Governance (CIGG) has said that the choice of who becomes his running mate is the constitutional prerogative of Atiku. In a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos by its convener, Mr Waheed Aderibigbe, and co-convener, Mr Obinna Ukariaku, the group said it was shocked that some Nigerians would jettison the provision of the constitution of the Federal Republic and choose to play to the gallery or even base their argument on emotional sentiments.
The CIGG, which noted that one of its goals is to promote democratic and electoral literacy, explained that the most any political party can do is to present names of probable candidates to a standard bearer from which he or she can pick the vice-presidential candidate of his or her choice.
The group noted that Atiku, in fidelity to the extant law exercised this power and privilege which the constitution vested in him, stressing that any input from the party stakeholders, including the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees (BoT), elders of the party, among others, is advisory.
The centre further faulted the comments of the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, who said the party should have picked Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers as Atiku’s running mate. Meanwhile, the PDP has also debunked speculation that its national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, has been “suspended over allegations of misappropriation.”
This followed a report, in the social space on Wednesday.
The report had also claimed that the deputy national chairman (North), Ambassador Umar Damagun, had been appointed in Ayu’s place in acting capacity.
However, the PDP dismissed the suggestion in a statement issued by Honourable Debo Ologunagba, its national publicity secretary, urging the public to disregard the report.
The statement reads, “The attention of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to a fictitious report being circulated in a section of the social media suggesting that the national chairman of our great party, His Excellency, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has been suspended by the NWC.
“Such report is completely false and a product of the imagination of mischief-makers with the intent to destabilise our party, create an impression of crisis within our ranks and mislead unsuspecting members of the public.
“It is clear that the false report is the handiwork of vicious anti-people forces who are agitated by the stability, unity and soaring popularity of our party under the cohesive Ayu-led National Working Committee as well as the intimidating statures of our presidential and vice-presidential candidates, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar and His Excellency, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa respectively.
“For clarity, our national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, is on a short vacation outside the country and he officially transmitted power to the deputy national chairman (North), Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, to perform his duties in acting capacity, pending his return, in line with the provision of the constitution of the PDP 2017.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP and the NWC is united and Ayu remains the national chairman.
“The NWC therefore urges all members of our great party, our teeming supporters, the media and the general public to disregard the said report as fake news.”
and then