There are signs that the conflict between Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar would have an impact on the party’s prospects of winning the 2023 election, which is around three months away.
Yerima Shettima, the national president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, emphasized this position.
Following Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP National Chairman, refusing to resign from the position, the G-5 governors, now known as the Integrity Group and led by Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, forged a coalition against Atiku.
Wike’s original beef was with Atiku for not choosing him as his running partner and for failing to get Ayu to resign as PDP National Chairman.
The integrity committee emphasized that the PDP cannot have its national chairman and presidential candidate from from the same region.
The integrity group was established by the Wike-led faction, who made clear that they are amenable to peace with the PDP leadership.
Jonah Jang, a former governor of Plateau State, has made a suggestion that the party will settle any differences before the 2023 elections.
“We have resolved to stick by the choices we made at our previous meeting in Port Harcourt,” added Jang.
We would want to state once more that there is still time for peace inside our wonderful party, the PDP.
The AYCF National President, Shettima, asserted that reconciliation cannot increase the prospects of the PDP and Atiku in 2023.
Shettima said that the issue will have an impact on Atiku’s prospects in the next elections in February.
He pointed out that Atiku’s crisis managers performed a poor job, hence the party will suffer in the election.
Shettima emphasized in her interview with Obasanjonews24 that no amount of reconciliation would be able to save the party from certain loss.
Shettima asserts that there is no doubt about Atiku’s reaction since it has already had an impact on him. Even though they are now making amends, things won’t be the same as they were in the beginning.
“Leadership might involve taking responsibility; regardless of how much you may despise someone, you must at least treat them with respect if they can improve your life.
Atiku’s crisis management must take more action.
Therefore, whether they make up now or not, it has already had an impact on him. Under normal conditions, the game would not have gone as it has if they had solid relations with those five governors, including Wike. The severity of the conflict should have been plain and crystal clear, but because of the delay in making amends, some of them have said things they can’t take back.
Even if they make up now or not, Atiku and the PDP as a whole are sending out a poor message. If wise folks and true people had been brought on board to settle this, even if they went back in time today, the harm had already been done.
