Northerners plotting; dismiss him as ‘a poor student of history’
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“What are the principal issues in this cause?
“First is that the BoT [Board of Trustees] Chairman, party Chairman, party [presidential] candidate, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, and all major offices within the PDP are held by Northerners” – PDP source.
Northern political leaders, including Senators in both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), say they are not happy with Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike’s mouth grenade decimating the Northern cabal.
They rate him as “a poor student of history” and say they are plotting “to surprise him at the appropriate time” for attacking PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar who is “the North’s highest representative in the election.”
Vanguard quoted multiple Northern sources as saying both APC and PDP Senators now see Wike’s “deliberate” actions as not just humiliating Atiku but also the entire North.
One of them conceded, however, that “we are being unfair in this whole thing, somebody [Wike] held this party together and he was the face of opposition then. The sensible thing is to give him what he rightly deserves.”
And Team Wike has dug in, insisting promises made by Atiku must be honoured.
A reconciliation committee is expected to meet this week to harmonise the demands of both camps, but nothing may come out of it as Wike remains in the trenches and Atiku is said to be planning to shun him and proceed with his campaign.
“The North is taking note of what Wike is doing to Atiku. I am one of them and I can tell you confidently that they are not happy with Wike,” a source told Vanguard.
“He lost an election and has turned his opposition to Atiku into the age long North/South divide. The leaders, including Senators in both parties, are not happy with Wike. And they have resolved to surprise him at the appropriate time.
“What does he want? He is a poor student of history and has forgotten that Atiku is the North’s highest representative in the election.”
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Wike’s fight for relevance
“The real issue between Wike and Atiku is deliberately distorted to fit a narrative and that narrative is that it is a fight by Wike for relevance, it is a fight by Wike for a position, it is a fight by Wike to secure himself,” another source told Vanguard.
“Legitimately, it could be all of these. Wike, having invested in the party, has a right to insist to be at the top table.
“Also, he came second in the party primary; in all democracies, when the winner emerges, the person who comes closest in the race, some grounds will be conceded to him and his followers.
“One had expected that immediately after the primary, the first person Atiku will court will be Wike and his group.
“All issues that have been narrowed down to Wike are for the Governors and members that are sympathetic to him and his cause.
“What are the principal issues in this cause?
“First is that the BoT [Board of Trustees] Chairman, party Chairman, party [presidential] candidate, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, and all major offices within the PDP are held by Northerners.
“Wike and his allies had insisted from day one that the President must come from the South but some people said it is not like that.
“That was why the contest was thrown open but with a proviso that if the presidential candidate came from the North, then the Chairman of the party who was elected at the convention, would step down and the Chairman would now come from the South.
“This is what I heard and maybe Wike will still commit himself. The first discussion Atiku had with Wike is that Ayu would go as earlier discussed.
“Second, Atiku offered to make Wike, at their first meeting, the vice presidential candidate. Wike now told Atiku that he had heard but he would discuss with his team. Atiku offered Wike to be his running mate.
Wike’s bromance with Tinubu, Obi
“There is a consensus that none of the options on the table will bring stability and progress.
“All of the options have k-legs. People believe that the Muslim-Muslim ticket is not an option for Nigeria and that it will continue to haunt us in the future, if allowed.
“Tinubu and Obi wanted to meet him [Wike]. For political reasons, he was invited and there is no crime in that. I know Obi went to meet him. If you were in Wike’s shoes, will you not meet those who want to meet you?
“You see, we are being unfair in this whole thing, somebody held this party together and he was the face of opposition then. The sensible thing is to give him what he rightly deserves.”