Atiku/Wike Crisis: Ayu Calls Wike’s Bluff; Meeting In Rough Start

By Gideon Njoku

To remove the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is not going to be as easy as it was for him to remove the immediate past Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

The reconciliatory meetings between Camp Atiku and Camp Wike – ongoing and planned – may have already hit the rocks over the fate of Ayu.

Internal Party wrangling has been the lot of the  PDP, since the victory of Atiku Abubakar over Nyesom Wike to emerge the Presidential candidate. It worsened when Atiku picked the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate instead of Wike who not only took the second place at the Presidential Primary, but was the preferred choice of a committee set up by Atiku and the Party to select  a running mate for Atiku.

Waving the flag of betrayal and injustice, Wike and his Camp have given the PDP a wide berth. Instead, Wike has been publicly romancing APC high profile members while ignoring all appeals to let go and allow peace to reign in the PDP.

With time running out, especially, as campaign would soon begin in full swing, a14-man Committee has been set up by both men to look into the crisis and sort out grey areas.

The Committee is in addition to the resolve of PDD Governors to wade into the crisis.

However, the efforts may have hit the rock already even before starting seriously.

It stems from the complete rejection of one of the alkeged requests placed on the table by the Wike Camp. According to reports, Wike had requested that the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, must step down from office. His request, it is said, is premised on equity and justice – that the Presidential candidate of the Party and the National Chairman should never come from sane region.

Atiku is from the Northern region, and so is Ayu.

Indeed, when Ayu was elected the Chairman, most people took it for granted that the Presidential candidate would come from the South. But the PDP reneged on the zoning arrangement and threw the ticket open.

Party sources insist Ayu had said he would step down from office if a Northern candidate emerged. But since the emergence of Atiku, Ayu has sat tight.

In a recent interview with Arise Television, Atiku had said Ayu would step down as soon as he, Atiku, wins the Presidential seat in 2023. Meaning: if he does not win, Ayu remains the Chairman.

On Monday, August 15, the Social Media was awash with the news that Ayu had stepped down from office to assuage the Wike Camp, and so, make way for peace.

The story said Ayu had handed his resignation letter to former Senate President, David Mark. But it turns out to be fake.

In a statement released same Monday, Ayu said: never. He said he did not resign, and will never resign.

He has not only reneged on his promise to quit in the event of the emergence of a Northern candidate, he has also faulted Atiku who promised Ayu would quit if he, Atiku, wins the Presidential seat in 2023.

Ayu is now talking of tenure. He is defending his tenure. In the statement, he let it be known that he was elected to office for a four-year tenure and would serve it out.

Not a few people had thought that the Party could consider Wike as the Chairman in the event of an Atiku victory. In fact, on Sunday, a PDP stalwart, Senator Okon,  had suggested Wike as the National Chairman in 2023.

With Ayu’s stand, hope is fast running out that an amicable solution would be arrived at in the next couple of days. The questions are:

Is Wike capable of holding the PDP to ransom? Will the Party cave in to his demands and pressurise on Ayu to give way? Will the party call his bluff? Can the party afford to lose Wike, one of its main financiers, and so, possibly lose Rivers State to another Party in the Presidential election? What will be Wike’s fate if the party calls his bluff as most people think could be the case if all appeals to him fail?

The consensus is that Wike is better off remaining in PDP as a tree does not make a forest.