WIKE'S CAMP GROUSE IN PDP
WIKE'S CAMP GROUSE IN PDP
By
Nurudeen Dauda
19th February, 2025
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To start with, there are at least six (6) issues which make Barrister Nyesom Wike and his like minds feel betrayed, backstabbed , and abandoned in the PDP. Please just have some patience and come with me to examine these issues one- by- one.
One, soon after the defeat of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 presidential elections, President Jonathan and his men forced the former Governor of Bauchi State, Ahmad Adamu Ma'azu who led the party to defeat to resign .The then ruling PDP lost power after its 16 years of reign, its then president Jonathan before he handed over power was advised to support an experienced politician from the north with deep pocket as the party's National chairman in order to keep on running the affairs of the party as the new main opposition party without financial problem. President Jonathan brought former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the party's chairman . It was alleged that Senator Sheriff was brought to replace Governor Mu'azu in view of his "deep pocket".
Soon after Sen. Sheriff stepped in as the party's National chairman, the party's fortunes began to dwindle especially in the south . Its supporters continued to leave in large numbers on the malicious allegation that the new party chairman was the founder and a sponsor of Boko Haram. It is sad to note that, Sen. Sheriff is often being maliciously linked to Boko Haram terrorists by his political opponents.
Unfortunately, the said malicious allegation against Sen. Sheriff is believed by some people even though there are no clear evidence. The said allegation worked against the PDP during his reign. During that trying times of the PDP of all its stakeholders including serving governors of the party the party was left losing its supporters in large numbers day and night under Sen. Sharif's chairmanship.
It was Governor Wike who took firmed stand against Sen. Sheriff's chairmanship at the dying moment of the party. He fought Sen. Sharif fiercely from the lower up to the supreme court and won against his chairmanship after several months of legal battles (about 2 years). Governor Wike's camp supported the chairmanship of the former governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Ahmed Mohamed Makarfi which brought the party to life again with a good showing in the 2019 general elections. Wike's camp often bragged that they stood for the PDP at its dying moment at a time when the former vice president Atiku, the former Senate president Saraki and the former Speaker Tambuwal teamed up with the opposition in 2015 to the defeat the PDP.
Two, Wike's camp often argues that based on the principles of "justice" and "fairness" the PDP ought to have fielded a southern presidential candidate after the 8 years of a northern president. Governor Wike had earlier on supported Mr Uche Secondus from Rivers State to succeed Sen. Makarfi as the party's National chairman, but the chairmanship of Mr Secondus could not agree on the very contentious issue of zoning the presidency to south as Wike's camp wanted despite a clear "clause" of "zoning" or rotational presidency in the PDP's constitution. Even with coming of Dr Iyorchia Ayu as National chairman up to the 2022 presidential primary elections the party did not have an "official" stand on the issue of zoning.
Three, ahead of political parties' primaries for the 2023 general elections, the 17 southern governors from the APC, PDP, and APGA had held a meeting in the Delta State government house and unanimously agreed that 2023 elections was the turn of the south to produce president and that each of them should go back and push for a southern presidential candidate in their respective political parties .
The results of the election clear indicated that some southern governors did not act as agreed in the said meeting of Delta State. Wike's camp felt betrayed and backstabbed especially by governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State whom governor Wike's camp handed over its PDP's party structure after he was denied a second term in the APC, his former party under the watch of governor Adams Oshiomhole, his former boss. Governor Wike was reported to have said soon after the PDP's 2022 presidential primary elections that of all the political backstabbing against him the one by his immediate brothers south - south governors pained him the most.
Four, Dr Iyorchia Ayu's chairmanship; as earlier mentioned there is a clear clause for zoning in the PDP's constitution, but despite that the tenure of Mr Uche Secondus could not agree on zoning. Dr Iyorchia Ayu was supported by the Wike's camp to replace Mr Secondus having failed to resolve the zoning disagreement in PDP. Wike's camp has always insisted that a northern president should not succeed a northerner after 8 years in power. Dr Ayu was brought in as a PDP chairman, but he too could not resolve the zoning disagreement in the party. The party went to its 2022 presidential primary elections with the issue unresolved.
During the PDP's presidential primaries each presidential candidate was given five (5) minutes to address delegates. All after all candidates had spoken, Mr Tambuwal was given another chance to speak to the delegates again. Mr Tambuwal used the opportunity of the extra minutes given to him to step down for former vice president Atiku Abubakar who eventually won. Mr Wike argued that given Mr Tambuwal extra minutes to address delegates again after he had done so was an unfair treatment to the other contestants by the leadership of PDP . Mr Wike revealed that he had wanted to disrupt the convention, but he applied caution for the love of the party. Similarly, it was reported that soon after Mr Abubakar emerged as the party's presidential candidate, the PDP National chairman Dr Ayu publicly declared that Mr Tambuwal as the hero of the PDP's 2022 National convention. Wike's camp felt unfairly treated and betrayed by Dr Ayu's chairmanship whom they brought on board.
Five, Wike's camp felt betrayed by Mr Tambuwal whom they had supported to be PDP's 2019 presidential candidate. Mr Tambuwal was the runner's up to Mr Abubakar in the PDP's presidential primary elections of 2019 owing to the support of Mr Wike's camp. It was alleged that it was the last minute intervention of the PDP's powerful generals that convinced Mr Wike to withdraw his support for Mr Tambuwal in 2019 for Mr Abubakar to emerge. Mr Wike had once said that he was surprised that Mr Saraki whom he argued he assisted to be senate president in 2015 and Mr Tambuwal whom he supported to be president in 2019 to contest against.
Six, it was alleged that Mr Abubakar had visited Mr Wike immediately after he won the PDP's presidential primary and allegedly promised to pick him as his vice president, but he however went ahead to setup a 19 man committee through the party in order to advice him on who to pick as his vice president . It was allegedly reported that the committee had a vote on who to be picked and Mr Wike was allegedly said to have gotten 13 votes. The committee was said to have recommended governors Wike, Okowa and Udom in the same order. However , Mr Abubakar Finally picked Mr Okowa. On the other hand, it was alleged that it later became known to Wike's camp that some south - south governors had already sealed a political deal with Mr Abubakar before the 2022 PDP's presidential primary elections.
Wike' camp felt backstabbed and betrayed from many fronts and by many people. Will PDP resolve its grouse with Mr Wike's camp before the 2027 general elections? Only time will tell!
We really need a strong opposition party in a democratic system in order to keep the ruling party on its toes. A strong opposition party always presents an alternative to the electorate.
As E Dey Pain Dem, E Dey Sweet us!
As E Dey Pain Dem, E Dey Sweet us!
As E Dey Pain Dem, E Dey Sweet us!
May God bless Nigeria!