23112022

PDP CRISIS: How IBB, GEJ, others
move to reconcile Atiku, Wike
By Dapo Akinrefon &
Marie-Therese
Nanlong
L
A G O S -
FOLLOWING
the frosty relationship
between the presidential
candidate of Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP,
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,
and Governor Nyesom
Wike-led Integrity
Group, a last-minute
push by former military
president, General Ibrahim
Babangida, retd;
former President Goodluck
Jonathan and prominent
party leaders to
resolve the crisis is ongoing
and is expected to
yield positive results,
Vanguard has gathered.
Atiku and the Rivers
State governor have
been at daggers drawn
over demand for the resignation
of PDP National
Chairman, Senator
Iyorchia Ayu.
However, both camps
said they were committed
to resolving the crisis
before the 2023 general
elections.
Atiku and Wike visited
IBB and Jonathan, recently,
where the crisis
rocking the party was
discussed at length.
Peace moves
by IBB, Jonathan,
others
A member of the Integrity
Group told Vanguard
in confidence that there
were efforts to get Atiku
and Wike to reconcile.
The source said: “A lot
of people have intervened,
they have told
Atiku to go and reconcile
with those, who are aggrieved.
''IBB told Atiku and his
team to go and reconcile
with Wike and his allies.
Other party leaders also
told Atiku that he caused
Atiku’s meet-
•Atiku’s meeting with ex-President fruitful-PCC source
•Pro-Atiku group chides Jang, G5 govs over stance on Ayu
ing with ex- ing.”
President fruitful
- PCC source
When contacted, a
the problem and should
go and solve it.”
Asked whether Wike
and his allies were interested
in making peace,
the source said: “Honestly,
there are so many
people within the Integrity
Group, who are genuine
PDP leaders and
have said that all Atiku
ought to have done,
which he can still do, is
to ask Ayu to go.
“If Atiku should mount
pressure on Ayu to resign,
he will resign. If
this is done, it will also
be easy to separate the
boys from the men. Three
zonal vice chairmen of
the party are with the
Integrity Group; there
are also several of the
candidates across the
geo-political zones that
are with the Integrity
Group but they are ready
for peace if Atiku is ready
to play the game.”
member of the PDP Presidential
Campaign
Council, PCC, who confirmed
the peace moves,
said it was fruitful.
The PCC member, who
is privy to the reconciliation
efforts, said given
the efforts of the former
presidents and other
PDP leaders “Reconciliation
is not impossible,
though I cannot speak
authoritatively on it.
''I am aware there are
internal efforts to intervene
but I cannot speak
on the terms of it.”
On whether the meeting
between Atiku and
Jonathan hit the brick
wall, the PCC member
said: “That is not correct.
The meeting they held in
Abuja was very fruitful,
that is the only takeaway
I had from their meet-
Pro-Atiku group
chides Jang, G5
govs over stance
on Ayu
Meanwhile, a pro-
Atiku/Okowa group in
Plateau State, Plateau
for Atiku Movement, yesterday,
faulted the continued
call for Ayu’s resignation,
saying its
members were disappointed
with former
Governor Jonah Jang of
Plateau State and the G5
governors for their insistence
on Ayu's resignation.
The group distanced
itself from the agitation,
saying that Jang's involvement
with the Port
Harcourt/Lagos group
does not represent the
thinking of the Plateau
State PDP.
Addressing journalists
in Jos, the group’s
spokesperson, Istifanus
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022 — 5
POCKET CARTOON
From left, Vice Presidential Candidate of PDP and Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; Presidential
Candidate of PDP and Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; CAN President, Daniel Okoh; CAN General
Secretary, Joseph Daramola; PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyochia Ayu and CAN Assistant General
Secretary, Rev. Mrs. Uzoaku Williams during CAN interactive session with presidential candidates of political
parties in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.
Resurgence of kidnapping in the S/West
By Mmesoma Nwafor
Mwansat, urged Senator
Jang to return to base in
Plateau State and engage
with his constituents
to shed more light
on how the position of
his group affects the
state.
According to him, an
average PDP member in
the state does not significantly
understand the
basis of Jang's decisions
and actions.
Mwansat, a former
speaker of the State
House of Assembly, said:
“One of the key demands
of the G5 governors
is that the chairman
of the party should resign
because he had
agreed to do so before
he emerged as the chairman
if the north produced
the flagbearer of
the party.
''As a movement, we
have some concerns: If
the chairman resigns,
what happens to the
Deputy National Chairman
(North), who is required
by the PDP constitution
to assume leadership?
"Shifting the national
chairmanship of the party
at this moment will
affect other positions,
thereby leading to
broad-based consultations
and consensus for
which time is not available.
''No serious political
party will engage in
leadership change at a
time other political competitors
are out in the
field canvassing for
votes from the electorate.
"As critical stakeholders
working for the victory
of the PDP, we are
deeply concerned by the
involvement and participation
of one of our
leaders and former governor,
senator and member
of the Board of Trustees
and founding member
of the PDP, Dr Jang,
with the Port Harcourt/
Lagos group.
Continues on Page 35
THE
elected
government of any
nation has the
responsibility to ensure
effective management of
the security sector is in
line with democratic best
practices. All elected
government officials in
the Southwest should
rise to the occasion to
tackle the problem.
— Nwankwo
Chibuzor, Businessman
V IGILANTE
groups should
be set up across the
various communities
in the Southwest.
They should be
equipped and
mobilised to patrol
forests surrounding
major highways to
apprehend and fish
out criminals.
—Umeh Chigozie,
Businessman
INSECURITY has
become such a big
threat that we must
embrace community
policing. The federal
government should be
willing to consider the
calls for the creation of
state police. The best
way to secure the
region is through
community policing.
—Okoye Micheal,
Student
THE governors of
the Southwest
should be more
cooperative to ensure
that the region does
not become a haven
for terrorists and
bandits. A joint task
force comprising all
security agencies
should be established
by the region.
—Chinaza Okoye,
Student
THE
Federal
Government
should show more
seriousness in
tackling the issues of
kidnapping in Nigeria
to save more people
from being enslaved
by bandits. More
security operatives
should be drafted to
the region.
— A k u b u e z e
Chiamaka, Student
The
Federal
Government must
ensure
that
everything is done
accordingly and that
Nigeria does not
become another
country where
terrorists reside.
Terrorists must not be
allowed to take over
the region.
—Chinyere Emeka,
Student