Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed, on Monday expressed optimism the crisis rocking the party will be resolved and the party will win the 2023 presidential election.
The PDP has been engulfed in crisis since it primary elections last May and the subsequent selection of a running mate by the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
BASIC FACTS
- A former PDP chairman has said the party will win the 2023 General election, notwithstanding the current trouble threatening to engulf the party.
- PDP has been in crisis following the end of it last convention where Atiku Abubakar was elected the presidential candidate.
- Atiku has been in a major rift with some chieftains of the party following their decision to abandon their constitutional provision for power rotation in favour of the south.
WHAT WE KNOW
Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed, on Monday expressed optimism the crisis rocking the party will be resolved and the party will win the 2023 presidential election.
The PDP has been engulfed in crisis since its primary elections last May and the subsequent selection of a running mate by the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Haliru Mohammed, while speaking on a Channels Television’s politics programme, made light the assumed seriousness of the crisis in the party, maintaining that the PDP had experienced politicians working to resolve the impasse.
Haliru Mohammed noted that their skill helped the party to tackle many crises in the past to become stronger.
Haliru Mohammed further noted that “Nomination problem is always significant in any electioneering year. We have always come through them. But this very one, because of the importance of Governor Nyesom Wike in our party (remember he stood with the party when we were in deep crisis over the Ali Modu Sheriff problem), and he has also been our pillar supporting the party since that time.
Haliru Mohammed further noted that the rebuilding of the party happened, because of the incumbent governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike. He acknowledged the problem of the party is a result of the choosing of running mate which the party had sought to avoid, unfortunately the committee that was set up to avoid the repeat of 2019 when the party was accused of not consulting before making a choice.
NOTABLE QUOTE
Haliru Mohammed said,
“In fact, the rebuilding of the party happened, thanks to him and some other governors since we lost the 2015 election. But all the same, the issue of nomination, and especially nomination of running mate, this time, became problematic, not because Atiku Abubakar set up the committee, but because in 2019, when the vice president was nominated without consultation, there was a lot of complaints and brouhaha.”
“This time around Atiku corrected that mistake and consulted widely among party members before nominating his running mate. But the problem is, as always, for any appointment or nomination, there are several contenders.”
“I believe the way it was handled before the announcement was the cause of the problem; and people have the right to feel slighted over the problem. Wike has the right to feel slighted, because he was expecting to be nominated, and when the decision was made, he was not privy to it before the announcement. I think that was the mistake that was made.”
“But that is a minor issue. Wike is a loyal party man. As I said earlier, he has been supporting the party and he will want the PDP to win the presidential election. And after he is consulted and assuaged, I think he will support the candidature of Atiku Abubakar, and work hard to make sure the PDP wins the presidential election. I am sure everything will be sorted out after this Port Harcourt meeting.”
CATCH-UP
The PDP has been engulfed in crisis since it primary elections last May. After the elections, the winner Atiku Abubakar seemed to have ignored what appeared to be a popular choice for running mate and picked the incumbent governor of Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
The decision didn’t go well with Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his supporters who were hitherto convinced he was the right choice. The crisis has led to various speculations, including rumours of defection, witch hunting of Atiku supporters in Rivers State etc.
Wike`s rift with Atiku immediately reopened and worsened the grievance over the refusal of the party to abide by power rotation provision in the PDP constitution and age long tradition of the party.
TAKEAWAY
Can the PDP resolve this crisis before February? Will Governor Wike yield to overtures? Will the PDP NWC give into Wike’s demand. What is the legal implications of some of these demands?
The PDP constitution for example makes it challenging for the party’s chairman to resign and have a person from another region succeed him.
Recall that Atiku Abubakar is one of those who rocked the PDP’s boat in 2015 because he didn’t get the party’s ticket. Is karma about to pay him back?
