The Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday, held a meeting with some PDP presidential aspirants whom he defeated during the party’s presidential convention in May.

The meeting, which was held in Abuja, was attended by Dele Momodu, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, Tari Oliver, Charles Ugwu and Kalu Chikwendu.

Other aspirants – Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, and a former President of the Senate, Pius Anyim, were absent at the meeting.

Atiku emerged the winner of the presidential primary after scoring 371 votes to beat his closest rival, the Rivers State governor, who polled 237.

The aftermath of the primaries resulted in the rift between Atiku and Wike after the appointment of Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

In his remarks, Atiku pledged to work in harmony with all the former aspirants, adding that they would play various roles to ensure his victory at the polls.

Shortly after that meeting, the PDP caucus meeting was also held at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

The party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu; former Vice President Namadi Sambo; Atiku; governors of Bayelsa, Bauchi and Sokoto States as well as the deputy governors of Edo and Benue States attended the meeting.

PDP NEC meeting

Meanwhile, the PDP National Executive Committee will on Thursday (today) hold its meeting where the crisis in the party is expected to take the centre stage.

The opposition party had been enmeshed in a crisis following Atiku’s emergence.

Wike’s loyalists have been demanding the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, stating that the chairman of the party; the chairman Board of Trustees, Walid Jibrin and the presidential candidate should not hail from the same region.

There were reports on Wednesday that Jibrin may resign in a move to douse the crisis.

Jibrin, who had expressed worries over the situation in the opposition party, was said to have confided in two National Working Committee members about his intention to leave his position.

An NWC member confirmed the development to The PUNCH in Abuja on Wednesday, adding that he was personally briefed by Jubrin.

Jibrin had said it is unfair for the PDP to have its presidential candidate, the national chairman and BoT chairman from the northern part of the country.

Confirming Jubrin’s decision to leave office, a credible source close to the BoT chairman stated, “Mr Jibrin said he was disturbed by the way things are going in the party; having him, the national chairman and the presidential candidate from the North. He sought advice that he wants to tender his resignation but he has not disclosed when he would put in his resignation letter.”

The BoT chairman could not be reached for comment as calls to his phone rang out. He had yet to respond to a text message on his decision to leave office.

The PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said he was not aware of the BoT chair’s planned resignation, adding that he could only comment on it if he submitted his resignation letter to the party.

Regardless of Jubrin’s reported decision to resign, allies of the Rivers governor said only Ayu’s removal can placate them.

A former member of the House of Representatives and PDP chieftain, Ogbonna Nwuke, said it was the resignation of the party chairman that matters.

Nwuke, who stated this in a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, recalled that Jibrin had earlier decried the party’s lopsided leadership structure.

The former lawmaker said, “We have heard so too (that Jibrin wants to resign). The BoT chairman has continued to show that the future of the PDP matters more than an individual’s interest. He has come out to say the lopsidedness in terms of positions in the party held by the North is unfair.”

PDP gov candidates

It was learnt that at a meeting with 17 PDP governorship candidates in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Wike insisted that the candidates were not in a position to resolve the crisis and therefore referred them to the party’s National Working Committee.

But the Kaduna State governorship candidate of the party, Isa Muhammed, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said they decided to visit Wike on the crisis, having previously heard from Atiku’s side.

While describing their deliberation with Wike as fruitful, Muhammed said they would present all the issues to the NWC to decide on the matter and possibly come up with a solution. (PUNCH)