Wike said Atiku, Tambuwal, Saraki and Aliyu all rebuffed Jonathan’s pleas to rescind their decision of leaving the PDP in 2014.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike on Friday said the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu worked against former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections.
In an interview with Channels TV, Wike said Atiku, Tambuwal, Saraki and Aliyu all rebuffed Jonathan’s pleas to rescind their decision of leaving the party in 2014 after the latter emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.
The party is seeing a repeat of the crisis that saw it lose the 2015 presidential election after over a decade in power.
Atiku’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate, being a northerner against wishes for a southerner to be the party’s flag bearer, has been causing rancour.
This has been made even more complicated by the refusal of the PDP national chairman Iyorchia Ayu, a northerner, to step down. Wike and his allies are insisting Ayu must step down for regional balance in the party’s leadership structure.
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Wike said the party’s constitution contained provisions for zoning of elective and party positions but lamented that some people were doing everything within their powers to manipulate the system.
He said: “There shall be zoning of party and elective offices. It is clear. Not ambiguous. But people will always try to manipulate the system to suit them.
“They slant stories in such a way as to deceive the public. The founding fathers know the complexity of this country. They did it in a such a way as not to have problems.”
Wike continued, “People should not forget history. In 2013 and 2014, there was an issue of the presidential candidate. Jonathan emerged. Atiku and others walked out of the convention. Tambuwal and former Senate President all walked out.
“Jonathan did everything to talk to them. But they rebuffed him as a sitting president. President travelled to London to see Atiku, but he rebuffed him. Former Governor Babangida Aliyu admitted that they all agreed to work against Jonathan.”