POLITICS: ATIKU, PDP GOVERNORS CONSULT AS PARTY DECIDES WIKE’S FATE MONDAY
The
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has recently been accused of being rather quiet
since the results of the February 25, 2023 elections were announced. In the
result as announced by the electoral umpire INEC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress was declared
winner.
PDP
and Atiku went to court while Tinubu was sworn in as President on May 29th
2023.
Five
governors elected under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, the main
opposition party in the country, under the aegis of the Integrity Group (Also
known as G5) worked openly against the Presidential candidate of the party at
the polls. The G5 members have openly associated with the Tinubu-led APC
government since inception.
Some
have attributed the seeming quietude to uncertainty regarding the outcome of
the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT).
The
party seems to have suddenly woken up in the past few days.
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, in the February 2023 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and some
governors elected on the party’s platform have started consultations regarding the
party’s future.
A closed-door meeting was held this weekend at the
Maitama, Abuja residence of Chief Tom Ikimi, a chieftain of the PDP and former
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Agenda
of the meeting and the report therefrom is still unknown as at the time of
writing this report.
However, a party source privy to the meeting who
spoke to Sunday Vanguard said it is part of consultations among party
leaders.
“It is just the beginning of a series of meetings to
prepare grounds to reposition our party.
“Another one is scheduled for next week at the same
time. It is expected to be an expanded meeting which will attract a larger
number of party stakeholders.
“Today’s meeting was attended by seven of our
governors among others. The truth is that we need to speed up the
reconciliation process and strengthen our party for the task ahead.”
With the situation in the country today, the nation
looks up to the PDP to provide the required opposition in the country.
The governors who attended the meeting were
- 1.
Ahmadu Fintiri(Adamawa)
- 2.
Ademola Adeleke-(Osun)
- 3.
Bala Mohammed-(Bauchi)
- 4.
Dauda Lawan -(Zamfara)
- 5.
Oborevwori Sheriff-(Delta)
- 6.
Godwin Obaseki-(Edo)
- 7.
Caleb Mutfwang- (Plateau)
The Acting National Chairman,
Ambassador Umar Damagum, who spoke with The Nation on the phone said
The chairman said that contrary to
allegations that the PDP has gone to bed since the outcome of the elections,
the leadership has been engaging the various party organs in consultations with
a view to addressing the various challenges confronting the party.
Damagum said: “There is no lull in
the PDP like you said, just because you have not seen us moving to the streets.
Consultations are ongoing with key stakeholders.
“Among those we are consulting with
are state chairmen, the PDP Governors Forum, past National Chairmen and a
select group of PDP elders.
“We are also meeting with the
leadership of the PDP Youth organ next week. So we have not been idle as some
people might think.”
“We are already consulting with the PDP
Governors Forum on the matter and the National Working Committee (NWC) will be
meeting on Monday to take a definite position on it,” Damagum said.
Nigerians, especially PDP faithful, eagerly await the outcome of the
National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday.
Whatever the decision the NWC takes
on July 31st will shape the destiny of the party and opposition
politics in Nigeria.
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