Atiku, Wike War Over Soul Of PDP Ahead Of Nat’l Convention

By Stephen Asaba-ase

As the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fixed for April 18, the fight for the control of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) by the camps of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike intensified, sources revealed.

The battle began when insinuations revealed that Wike will remain in the PDP and work for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election, while Atiku will contest for the PDP’s presidential ticket.

However, the North-central is expected to present its anointed candidate for the position of the party’s National Chairman to NEC on April 18.

Meanwhile, former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam and former Minister of Police Affairs, Humphrey Abba, have indicated an interest in succeeding the sacked substantive National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

Following the political calculations, the two contenders, who are also from Benue State where Ayu hails from, have refused to publicly align with Atiku or Wike’s camp for strategic reasons as such move may backfire and cost any of them the position.

According to a report, Wike’s body language, which indicates that he will likely work for the APC in the 2027 presidential election, stakeholders in the PDP are concerned that if the party’s structure slips into his hands, he will collapse the party to pave the way for the victory of the APC.

Often times, Wike had said he would not contest against President Bola Tinubu in 2027 which implied that he would work for the re-election of the president against his party’s presidential candidate as he did in the 2023 general election.

Reading Wike’s strategies, his adversaries believed that he is making move to seize the PDP’s structure and further disorganised the party to ensure an easy ride for the APC presidential candidate in 2027.

“Wike claims to be in PDP; he has refused to resign officially. But he is working for APC administration. If he is handed over the party’s structure, he will weaken it for the APC to retain power in 2027.

“It is for this reason that there is palpable tension in the party over who will have the upper hand in the battle to control the soul of the party by both camps,” a member of NEC said.