End to the lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from their presidential primaries in May 2022 may yet be in sight as the Board of Trustees (BoT) rose in Port Harcourt from a meeting with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State only to say reconciliation is still ‘work in progress’. This is a statement many considered to mean no resolution was reached.
This comes on the heels of a meeting of the Wike camp (G-5 Governors) in Enugu a day before with rumours of likely bend to Peter Obi.
A statement issued from the Rivers State Government House Tuesday evening said the Adolphus Wabara-led BoT told Correspondents in the Government House that their effort at resolving the lingering crisis rocking the party is a work in progress.
According to the statement, the meeting lasted for four hours and had Ibrahim Idris, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Shuaib Oyedokun, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), Esther Uduehi and Zainab Maina on the BoT delegation.
On the part of Governor Wike were the Rivers State PDP chairman, Desmond Akawor, Rivers Elders Forum chairman, Ferdinand Alabraba; former deputy speaker of House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche; Adawari McPepple, Emmanuel Anyanwu, Olaka Nwogu and Sam Sam Jaja.
Wabara, who was former President of the Nigerian Senate, said the meeting afforded them the opportunity to properly understand the concerns of Governor Wike and are better informed about the crisis.
“We’ve been rubbing minds with His Excellency, the performing governor of Rivers State, Mr. Project. I think the meeting took about four hours.
“We have not concluded. It’s always easy to destroy but to make up, to make peace takes some time. But I think we are better informed, we have gotten some information. Every coin has two sides. We have been briefed by His Excellency. We will go back to Abuja to re-digest all that we gathered from His Excellency. We had very frank talks.”
Wabara informed that they were taking what they have gathered from the Rivers State governor back to the larger BoT house in Abuja to take a position.
“I’m acting chairman of the Board of Trustees of this party. I do not have the exclusiveness to stand here and tell you what the Board of Trustees will come up with. We have come here, we are going back, we will convene a meeting of the Board of Trustees, brief them and that is when Nigerians will hear where the Board of Trustees stands. Since it is an advisory) body, conscience of the party, we will be there to tell the party the truth and nothing but the truth about our findings.”
He said, since this was the first meeting of the BoT intervening in the crisis, they were optimistic of attending to the issues as a family.
“But one good thing is that this family remains one. You know, we are still under the umbrella called PDP and by the special grace of God, we will end up very victorious and we will end up in the Villa in May 2023 with his cooperation and support of other governors; four of them. I think we will make progress, no doubt about it.”
Wabara, who described Wike as an inestimable asset to the PDP, pointed out that ahead of the 2023 general election, the governor’s infrastructural development in Rivers State is already campaigning for the party.
Read also: PDP and Nyesom Wike’s ‘penkelemesi’
In his speech, Governor Wike said what is important to all of them is to ensure that the unity of the party is not endangered.
Wike reiterated that he and his allies were not leaving the party, but are more interested that the contending internal issues be addressed adequately.
“What’s important is that the house is united for the war that is coming in front. So, for me, the issues of whether they achieved peace or not today is immaterial. What is material is that PDP is united.
“What is important is to have unity, even if it takes you longer days. I think that is the message he (Wabara) is conveying.
“We have said repeatedly that we are not leaving the party. We have said so. But that does not mean that there are no internal issues that ought to be sorted out. I think what they are here for, is to see how they can sort out some internal issues.”
