Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said the ball is now in the court of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his camp over the lingering crisis in the party.
Atiku said this at a townhall meeting organised by Channels Television in Abuja on Sunday night.
The presidential candidate said after meeting with the Rivers State Governor and members of his G5 group five times, he is now waiting for them.
Answering questions on why he has been unable to resolve the crisis in the party, Atiku said: “I have met Wike two times in Port Harcourt, two times in Abuja, one time in London, personally. It is not on my part; it is on the other side; I am waiting for him.”
Wike and four of his colleagues, Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and some stakeholders in the party had pulled out of Atiku’s campaign and launched what they called the Integrity Group.
They vowed that until the national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, resigns and is replaced by a southerner, they would not work for Atiku.
All efforts by Atiku and other party leaders including the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustee (BoT) to pacify the aggrieved parties have failed.
Wike lost the presidential ticket of the party to Atiku in May.
He was also penciled down to be Atiku’s running mate but the former vice president settled for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
