By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The last is yet to heard on the crises rocking the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has began move towards the impeachment of the party’s National Chairman.
To activate this move, the Governor on Sunday, met with some of his colleagues and other party stakeholders to perfect strategies towards the implementation of the plan a shop for Ayu’s replacement.
The meeting which held behind closed doors at the Rivers State Governors Lodge, Abuja, was the first of its kind between Wikr and his supporters since his ill-fated presidential primary.
Even the agenda of the meeting was not made public, it was gathered that it revolved around the seemingly intractable post presidential primary crisis which is threatening to split the party and moves to shop for a replacement for the PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu.
It was learn’t that the Southern Caucus of the party led by Wike had insisted that the PDP Chairman must resign so that the position should go to the south since a northerner has emerged as PDP Presidential candidate.
Wike has remained aloof to all party activities after the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar jettisoned the recommendation of a 37- member committee that suggested that Wike instead of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State should be made the party’s Vice Presidential Tickets.
A source very close to the camp of Wike who spoke on the development said,
“Atiku and the caucus where he is, has been told to give up the position of the chairmanship which Ayu pledged he will give up if a Northerner emerges. That they are finding it very difficult to keep and the difficulty in keeping to that is also part of the problems
“The caucus of the party led by Wike has asked the chairman to resign so that a southerner in line with the agreement will now become the chairman. They are refusing to do that and I think that that is where the problem is”.
A member of the PDP Board of Trustees and North Central Coordinator of the Wike Presidential campaign, Prof. Jerry Gana, who spoke briefly after the closed door 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 are are one.
“We know that developments will unfold and when they do, we shall brief Nigerians.”
However, a source familiar with what transpired behind closed doors said, “Members only reviewed what transpired during the primary and what our next line of action should be since no one has deemed it fit to sit down with our principal and discuss like genuine party men should.”
Those at the meeting include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state and Governor of Enugu state Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Others are: former governor of Cross River state Donald Duke, former governor of some Benue state Gabriel Suswam, former Ondo state governor Olusegun Mimiko, former Bayelsa state governor Seriake Dickson, Ibrahim Idris of Kogi state and former Plateau state governor Jonah Jang.
Others include: Former PDP Deputy National Vice Chairman North, Senator Suleiman Nazif, former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Adoke, member of the House of Representatives from Kogi State, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf among others.
