Wike’s camp gives condition to support Atiku’s presidential bid

In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, the supporters of Governor Nyesom Wike have insisted that Iyorchia Ayu must resign his position as the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) before they can support its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming elections.

As earlier reported, Governor Wike on Sunday met with PDP governors and other stakeholders of the party, who coordinated his campaign for the presidential ticket behind closed doors at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro in Abuja.

Sources in the party said the meeting focused on the post-presidential primary and the crisis rocking the party over the vice-presidential slot.

It was gathered that the meeting resolved the demand for the sacking of the PDP National Chairman as the only condition for the camp to work with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abukar.

A source, who was part of the meeting disclosed that attendees agreed not to leave the party but give the condition of removing Ayu for supporting the party at the polls.

“The current power configuration has made PDP a regional party. What are we going to use to campaign in the South when there is nothing for them in this arrangement?” the source said.

Correspondingly, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and North Central Coordinator of the Wiki Presidential Campaign, Prof Jerry Gana, who spoke briefly after the meeting, which lasted for over an hour, said, “This is the first meeting we are holding with all our candidates in the states after the primaries. We are united and are one.

“We know that developments will unfold and when they do, we shall brief Nigerians,” he added.

Another source said the meeting reviewed what transpired during the presidential primary and what their next line of action should be since no one has deemed it fit to sit down with Governor Wike.

Those at the meeting include Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Samuel Ortom of Benue and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu.

Former PDP governors also attended the meeting. They are Donald Duke (Cross River), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) Ibrahim Idris (Kogi) and Jonah Jang (Plateau).  (Daily Independent)