August 23, 2022
Comments made by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Walid Jibrin, in a television interview, has added new twist to the crisis of confidence between party members sympathetic to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and those supporting the party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Jibrin, in an interview with “Sunday Politics” a political programme on Channels Television on Sunday, said it was unfair for the PDP to have its presidential candidate, the national chairman and BoT chairman from the northern part of the country.
The BoT Chairman said, “You see, to tell the truth, it will not be fair for the president of Nigeria to be from the north, the chairman of the party to be from the north and to talk of the BoT chairman to also be from the north,” he said.
This is even as he said, “ By next week, we will get the report (of the reconciliation panel). And when we find out that somebody is wrong in what has happened we will come up openly to tell the party that it is wrong. Whatever we can do, we will do it in the interest of the party to make the party remain as PDP.”
His comments set off alarm bells with Atiku loyalists accusing the BoT Chairman of open partisanship.
An obviously livid source in the Atiku camp told Vanguard, “ How can the BoT Chairman speak like that? Is that how to reconcile people? What report is he expecting?
“He has obviously taken sides there is nothing more to add. We are shocked that a man as experienced as Senator Jibrin who knows how the party works is spewing such hogwash.
“It is as clear as daylight that it is after we win the presidency that this issue can be addressed. When Atiku takes office by God’s grace, the National Chairman will be accommodated in the new administration, a mini-convention will then be held and the chairmanship can move to the South.
“There has been a precedent, in 2007, Ahmadu Ali, a northerner was National Chairman, it was after we won the election and President Umaru Yar’Adua, took charge that Vincent Ogbulafor was elected as National chairman.
“This is nothing new, the least we expect from our leaders at the level of the BoT is to put issues in perspective or simply shut up.”
In response, a source within Wike’s camp said the BoT Chairman’s comments had vindicated members of the group.
The source said, “This is what we have been saying all along. Everybody knows this truth but nobody has been willing to come out and say it.
“We are not the aggressors here, we’ve invested so much in terms of energy and resources holding the party together when other expected the party to fizzle out.
“We want out party to win on 2023 to do this we must put our house in order by righting
wrong where ever we see it.
“Since we jettisoned our zoning for the presidential primary and the National Chairman, Sen. (Iyiochia) Ayu, without prompting promised to step down if a northerner emerges as presidential candidate, he should do the needful and let us move on.
“With the current state of affairs how do we campaign in the South when every critical position in the party is in the north?” This is the issue.
