By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
One week after their meeting in London, allegedly at the instance of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, hints have emerged on why the anticipated reconciliation between the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party for the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, could not materialise.
The two PDP heavy weights, it was gathered, were not able to shift grounds in their various demands and positions, especially on the issue of party leadership.
An informed source told TPCN that while the Wike team demanded for the immediate resignation of the PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, the Atiku team felt it would be uncivil to do that as Ayu has not done anything to deserve such treatment.
They were also said to have argued that even if there would be need to remove the PDP national chairman because of the northern factor -as Atiku also hails from there – it should not be now that the party is passing through challenges.
“Although the Atiku Camp was very anxious to reconcile with the Wike camp and get their support for 2023, it was difficult for them to oblige to most of the demands they made. Like this issue of removing the party chairman, it was difficult for Atiku to assure them of that. Apart from the fact that Atiku wouldn’t want to be seen as an ungrateful person who removed a man during whose leadership tenure he won the hottest and most contested presidential primary, he also thinks that such removal will make Ayu look like a sacrificial lamb for PDP’s crisis,” the source explained.
Yet-to-be confirmed whispers also claimed that the Wike team demanded for certain key positions in the federal cabinet should Atiku and the PDP win the presidential election next year.
The positions, it was gathered, are supposed to be used to placate the Rivers governor alleged to be unhappy over the way he was treated by the PDP leadership during and after the presidential primaries.
Governor Wike had felt sabotaged when his Sokoto State counterpart and friend, Aminu Tambuwal, stepped down for Atiku and gifted him his supporters in a primary election he (Wike) was said to be leading.
That last-minute intrigue allegedly paved way for Atiku to win the keenly contested election. Having lost the presidential ticket, Wike was said to have expected to be considered for the vice presidential position, as compensation for all the sacrifices he had made for the party, coupled by the fact that he came second at the primaries.
But that would not be, as the party chieftains voted for Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor, to be Atiku’s running mate, a development Wike’s loyalists saw as another conspiracy against their principal.
As part of their conditions for reconciliation, the Wike team were said to have demanded for a certain percentage of cabinet positions if PDP wins next year’s election. Though the actual figure
demanded for is yet to be ascertained, rumour merchants claim it will not be anything less than 30%, a claim our source subtly confirmed.
However, some of the positions being rumoured to be demanded for by the Wike camp are SGF (secretary to the government of the federation), COS (Chief of staff) to the president, deputy senate president, speaker of house of reps, minister of transport, minister of petroleum and minister of interior.
When asked to throw some light on this, our source said: “Yes, that rumour is not totally out of place. But the positions am very much sure of that are being demanded for are SGF or COS. They want either of the two positions.
They’re also demanding for a few other positions such as the minister of petroleum and that of transport. They also want an assurance that Atiku will not apportion the minister of petroleum to himself as Buhari did.”
But the demands, like that of removing the national chairman of the party, did not receive positive response from Atiku, it was learnt.
Our source explained the reason for this. “Atiku is like a man whose hands are tied. In as much as he desires a quick reconciliation with Governor Wike, he was being careful of the type of commitments he would make. I also think he was afraid of his northern brothers.
There are things he will agree to that may not be acceptable to them back home. I believe that’s why he could not make any promises and that’s why the reconciliation was not achieved,” the source revealed.
The meeting was said to have gone contrary to the way the alleged convener, Chief Obasanjo, anticipated.
According to whispers, the Ogun State-born Ota Farm Landlord had hoped to reconcile Wike and Atiku at the London meeting and take the glory as the elder statesman who was able to do what others could not do.
But the seeming hard stance of the Wike camp and the non commital posture of the Atiku camp allegedly got the former president disappointed.
However, to ensure that the meeting did not end up as a futile venture, Obasanjo allegedly resorted to the last agendum of the meeting which was the need for the two camps to refrain from hate speeches.
He was said to have called their attention to the implications of verbally attacking each other or making statements, innuendos or insinuations, warning that such could heighten the already tensed situation in a country ravaged by insecurity and sharply polarised by ethno-religious sentiments. Following Obasanjo’s plea, the Atiku and Wike camps allegedly agreed to sheathe their swords for the sake of the Nigerian nation, while keeping their doors open for further conciliatory moves.
Before closing the meeting, all the parties, including the observers such as Peter Obi, were allegedly instructed to keep details of the meeting secret.
Our source threw more light on this:
“They resolved that if there is need to talk about the meeting, they should be diplomatic. That’s why some of them spoke the way they spoke when they returned.”
Governor Nyesom Wike and his team, which included Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, had, on their return from the London meeting last week, told journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport Omagwa, that issues of national interest were looked at during their London meeting.
It was also gathered that Obasanjo’s reported visit to another former head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar, shortly after returning from the London meeting, was not unconnected with the reconciliatory moves.
TPCN learnt that the former president went to brief Abdulsalami the outcome of the London meeting. Abdulsalami is the chairman of Nigeria’s Peace Committee. Whether he and Obasanjo will succeed in reconciling PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, and bring them to work together, will be seen as events unfold.
