Atiku vs Wike: PDP Crisis Deepens As Reconciliation Meeting Deadlocked

• Representatives of Atiku Abubakar and the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, met in Port Harcourt on Friday, August 19
• The meeting was meant to ensure a truce between Atiku and Wike over the crisis that greeted the outcome of the PDP presidential primary
• But the two teams could not agree on the demands presented as conditions for the reconciliation

There is no peace in sight between the waring Governor Nyesom Wike of |Rivers state and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, ThisDay says.

Legit.ng reports that members of a committee created by the duo as part of the framework for the resolution of their differences, met in Port Harcourt for over four hours on Friday, August 19, without achieving the desired reconciliation.

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The Rivers governor has been at loggerheads with Atiku ever since the PDP candidate declined to pick him as his running mate for the 2023 election but named Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state.

The Rivers governor had earlier contested the party's presidential ticket and lost to Atiku.

The former governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko, who led Wike’s team to the meeting held at Government House, Port Harcourt, came out saying, “This is a reconciliation process, there are some issues out there which need further deliberation when the committees meet again.”

It was gathered that though, Mimiko did not disclose the main issue drawing back the reconciliation, sources told ThisDay that the insistence of Wike’s team that the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, must step down before any reconciliation can commence, remains a big issue.

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Atiku’s camp was represented by the governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri; Hon. Adamu Waziri and Hon. Eyitayo Jegede.

Those on Governor Wike’s team were former Attorney General of the federation and minister of justice, Mohammed Bello Adoki; Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state; former governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke; former governor of Gombe state, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo and Mimiko.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Fintiri stated that talks were ongoing to achieve the desired objectives.

This, he said, is in cognizance of the fact that Nigerians were waiting patiently for the PDP to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, and redeem the country from the bad governance brought about by the current federal government.

He urged Nigerians to be patient and expressed optimism that at the end of the day the committee would broker peace, unify the party and Nigerians.

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Fintiri said:

“We are aware that Nigerians are anxious and waiting for the PDP to take over government in 2023. We have met as leaders, members of the same political family and we have opened the discussion, work is in progress and we will continue.

“At the end of the day, we will broker peace and we will unify the party and Nigerians.”

Also speaking, Mimiko noted the agreement by members of the committee to bring about unity in the party would be achieved soon

Why the committee will meet again, Mimiko reveals

Mimiko hinted that the committee would meet again to further deliberate on issues that need to be addressed.

He said:

“We have agreed that there is a need for us to enhance unity within our party."

The members of the committee later met with Wike at his private residence in Rumueprikom, Obio/Akpor local government area of the state.

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Atiku and Wike had agreed to constitute the committee at a meeting they held in Abuja a few weeks ago at the residence of a former minister of information and national orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana, as part of the framework for the resolution of their differences.

Wike allegedly seals businesses of Atiku's loyalists in Rivers

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that there were claims that Governor Wike is taking out his political rift with Atiku Abubakar on loyalists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)' presidential candidate in the state.

It was reported that this notion stems from the fact that properties owned by allies of Austin Opara, a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, one of the supporters of Atiku, were sealed off on Thursday, August 19, in Rivers.

It was gathered that security operatives, by the order of Wike, sealed a petrol station owned by Chinyere Igwe, a federal lawmaker, and a bar owned by Hon. Jones Ogbonda and a hotel owned by Sir Ikechi Chinda.

Source: Legit.ng