Atiku Vs Wike: Accusation, Denial, 5 Other Things You Need to Know About PDP Crisis

• The crisis in the PDP is getting wider day by day, and the efforts of the party's leadership to reconcile the party's presidential candidate, Atiku, with Governor Wike of Rivers seemed futile
• The news of Wike challenging the victory of Atiku in court, though Wike has denied knowing anything about the suit, it's a strong indication that all is not well with the PDP
• No doubt, Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the party, is the villain of the narrative as he has refused to honour his word, before his emergence, that he would step down if a northern presidential candidate emerges

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis continued gaining momentum since Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party's presidential candidate and announced his running mate.

The media on Friday, August 12, was awash with the news of the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, challenging the victory of the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, in the party’s presidential primary.

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The purported suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022 has Wike and a PDP chieftain, Newgent Ekamon are the plaintiffs, while the PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state and Atiku are first to fourth defendants.

The Denial

In his reaction to the lawsuit, Atiku said he has not been served with any court process in connection to the case.

On the other hand, Wike denied knowing anything about the case as he claimed he did not even know the lawyer that filed the lawsuit.

According to him, he is expected to have done that within 2 weeks after the election, not after two months that the election had passed.

5 other things you need to know about the cracks in PDP

1. Iyorchia Ayu, the national leader of the PDP, has failed to honour his word when he promised to resign if a northern candidate from the party’s presidential primaries. 2 months after the primary that eventually produced a northern candidate for the party, the agitation for Ayu’s resignation becomes an issue.
2. As part of his demands during the reconciliation efforts of the party’s leadership, Wike said Ayu should resign as chairman of the party. Another PDP stalwart, Bode George, recently made the public demand.
3. Also important to note is that during the PDP primary, Tambuwal had earlier asked the delegates to vote for him, only to return moments later and ask his supporters to vote for Atiku, The Punch reported.
4. At the end of the primary, Atiku later polled 371 votes, while Wike came second with 237 votes and former senate president Bukola Saraki got 70 votes.
5. Ayu, however, failed to show leadership prowess at the end of the election as he did not address the convention as one house when he singlehanded described Tambuwa as the “hero of the convention.”

Source: Legit.ng