The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar has set up a committee to reach out to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and other aggressive members of the party.
Atiku in his plan to win the 2023 presidential election set up the committee to woo the aggrieved members to come on board.
Wike’s silence in the affairs of the party has seen two of his allies, a former minister of Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe and an ex-commissioner in Edo State, Kassim Afegbua dump the PDP on Tuesday.
A chieftain of the party who spoke on condition of anonymity with Punch on the developing issue said, “Atiku wanted to tell Wike about his choice of Okowa one-on-one but then, he heard that Wike had returned to Rivers. That clearly showed good faith. Even though Wike was not the selected candidate, Atiku wanted to accord him respect by letting him know before the news got to the public.
“Atiku has set up a reconciliatory committee to reach out to Wike and mend the cracks. Atiku understands the need to go to the 2023 elections with a united front. Everyone will be pacified. Not only Wike but every aggrieved person within the party.”
A top Atiku confidant who also spoke on the reconciliation move said, “Our people (PDP members) are still aggrieved and when you are doing mediation, you don’t give the impression that you are not sincere but it is a serious undertaking.
“His Excellency, Governor Wike is strategic to Atiku’s victory, make no mistake about it. Whatever anybody may say, that is a party man through and through. He understands the times we are in and that was why he threw his hat in the ring; that is why he wants to be president because he feels that he has what it takes to lead the country so also the other candidates who contested.
“Now, that the contest is over, we have a responsibility to bring everybody together. You don’t go to a battle with a disunited army. Wike is the kind of man you can go to battle with, you don’t leave him behind. You do all you can to bring him on board. The enemy is not within PDP; the enemies are those who have enslaved us; people that have impoverished us.”
He further stated that the team would reach out to people close to Governor Wike to plead with him to work with Atiku.
The source speaking on the timeframe of the committee, said, “No timeframe, it is an ongoing process. We are working very hard and I can assure you that a lot of work is going on. I know because I have spoken with one of those involved.”