- Internal row deepens as Integrity Group remains adamant
- Atiku’s loyalists exude confidence, write off Wike, G5
- Tinubu positioned to gain more from crisis than Obi – Analysts
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, MAYOWA SAMUEL AND BRIGHT JACOB
Last Thursday’s definitive declaration by a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, Bode George, that the Integrity Group would not support its presidential candidate in 2023, Atiku Abubakar, has cast a pall of gloom over the party.
Addressing a press conference last week, George declared that “Despite the ongoing inept attitude of the gladiators holding us down, we are ready and will, with all the strength we can muster, God helping us, support all the party’s candidates, except for the Presidency because the top party managers definitively refuse to share the six top positions before the general elections and not after the election as being canvassed by these few people.”
This, George argued, was because a clique of few self-serving people in the party chose to trample on “the very foundation and political spinal cord that has held our great party together since its formative hours in 1998. This is what some of us refer to as ‘Turn by Turn Nigeria Limited’, a tradition of inclusiveness, deeply embedded and deep-rooted in the general concept of equity, fairness and justice.”
George’s pronouncement demonstrated that the gulf in the opposition party has widened to the point of no return, except immediate steps are taken here and now.
A top-ranking chieftain of the party, who would not want to be named because he is not authorized to speak on it, told The Point on Saturday that no piece of news could be worrisome for the party and its teeming supporters with just 75 days to the presidential election.
He regretted that the top echelon of the party failed in the last four months to resolve the crisis and that no matter how strong any candidate may be, it would be better if nobody was disregarded or treated as insignificant, especially, when these people are governors and top chieftains of the party.
“I must confess that a lot of the members of the PDP are saddened by the pronouncement by our father, Chief Bode George. It is the worst kind of news that anybody can hear at this time. I mean we have just 75 or so days until the election. Everybody is important. Nobody can do it alone, no matter how strong and popular and rich.
“It is sad that more than four months after this matter broke out, our leaders have refused to take a definite stand to unite the party, forge a common front and put the matter to rest. It is regrettable that we think we can buy time forever. Our seemingly intractable crisis has emboldened our political opponents. Just when we thought that the issue was almost settled. This is very sad indeed, our people are not happy,” he lamented.
Nevertheless, loyalists of Atiku maintained a level of optimism that things would be sorted out soonest.
Head of the Atiku Media Office and spokesperson of the former vice president, Paul Ibe, told The Point that “everybody matters in the PDP” and that the crisis in the party was “not an endless one”.
“It is sad that more than four months after this matter broke out, our leaders have refused to take a definite stand to unite the party, forge a common front and put the matter to rest. It is regrettable that we think we can buy time forever. Our seemingly intractable crisis has emboldened our political opponents”
Ibe also said he was aware that a committee had been set up to resolve “all of the extant issues” in the party, noting that the PDP was not taking any aggrieved member of the party for granted by continuing with its nationwide campaigns.
He explained that campaigns had already been declared, and the party was duty-bound to participate in it.
“The crisis is not endless. First of all, everybody matters in the PDP. So, there’s no crisis. There are peace efforts going on. I am aware that a committee has been set up to resolve, specifically, all of the extant issues. The issues are going to be resolved.
“You know the campaign has started officially, and it started on September 28. So, it (the campaign) has to go on. It’s not as if anyone is being taken for granted. This is why I said that everybody matters. Everybody is consequential to the party.
“Along the line, some people will join the campaign train. There will also be both scheduled and unscheduled stops, and in the process, those that have not joined will come on board. And so, I can assure you that all the issues, whatever it is that there are, will be addressed before the election,” Ibe said.
Also, the spokesman of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Charles Aniagwu, who is also the Commissioner of Information, Delta State, argued that what is happening in the PDP is mere storm in a teacup.
He insisted that those who are said to be aggrieved now would come back to the party.
“The disagreement in our party is just a storm in a teacup. The PDP is poised to win the next election. Nigerians cannot go the way of APC, APC is not an option, and Labour Party does not have any party to beat because they don’t understand the Nigerian nation. Peter Obi knows too little to understand the unity of this country. He may be a good man but you need to be able to have the proper sensibility across this country because the last time I checked, we are still one country, it’s not a question of tribe,” Aniagwu maintained.
‘G-5 ONLY GRANDSTANDING, WILL EAT HUMBLE PIE’
A chieftain of the PDP in Osun State, Kolapo Alimi, said that Governor Nyesom Wike and others in the Integrity Group members would eat the humble pie days before February 25 general elections and declare support for Atiku.
Alimi, the Deputy Director General for Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation and the Deputy Director General, of Field Operation, Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation in Osun State, argued that the G-5 Governors were only grandstanding and that it would be impossible for them to convince their followers not to vote for Atiku when it is sure that both the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be held on the same day.
He said voters may not be able to differentiate between the ballots for the Presidency and the National Assembly, saying that the majority of voters are the illiterates and aged who would find it hard to differentiate the ballot of the presidency from that of the federal lawmakers.
The chieftain added that the aggrieved Integrity Group members would have to sacrifice their anointed candidates for the National Assembly and governorship positions to be able to sway the people away from voting Atiku.
According to him, most national and state assembly candidates would not want to follow the aggrieved governors should they agree to give up on PDP, adding that it is already late for any individual to substitute candidates ahead of the general elections.
“To come back to your question, Nigerians have made up their minds that they are going to vote for PDP. Let’s see what the PDP will bring to the table. Now, coming back to that G-5, the Integrity Group, there is what we know as the psychology of election, and considering the illiteracy level of our people, on the day of the election, February 25, three elections will take place that very day. The first one happens to be the House of Representatives, the second one is the Senate and the third one is Presidential Election. It will be held simultaneously if I am not mistaken, going by what has happened in the past. Simultaneously, a voter will be given three ballot papers after voter accreditation. They will be accredited once but will be given three different ballot papers to vote on. That’s for the House of Representatives, Senate and President.
“I used to tell people that there is what is known as reality on the ground and in life, you have to face the reality because if you don’t face the reality, the reality will face you. I have actually listened to Governor Seyi Makinde arguing that our people are so sophisticated and that they could distinguish between the ballots of the President and those of the National Assembly. With the greatest respect to our amiable governor, I beg to disagree that those in that category are in the minority and it’s only if and only if our G-5 Governors are ready to sacrifice their members of the House of Assembly in their states to the other party. That’s when I will say that they really mean business. But, if their mission is to the effect that their people should cast their vote for the House of Assembly and then separate that of the president, it’s not going to work for the majority. In life, if you don’t face reality, it will face you. And I know that reality will eventually face our G-5 Governors when the election is approaching but the National Assembly candidates will silently tell the people to please cast all their votes for PDP. They won’t oppose their ogas (G-5 Governors) against the voters.
“When our Ogas realise this one, they will eventually come down and listen to the party, go and write it down. That they are saying that the majority of Nigerians will say that our elderly people, non-educated and illiterate people would be able to distinguish ballot papers of the House of Representatives, and Senate and cast those votes, and it will be difficult for them to know which one in particular that they are referring to
“And to sum that one up, it means eventually, Atiku won’t be affected. Go and write it down. Look at the issue of Muslim/Muslim Ticket. We are still urging our G-5 Governors to come back home. I know they will come back because of the reason on the ground
“So, our G-5 Governors should come together and end this crisis. I know they will come back. And they can’t leave the party because if they leave the party, the candidates they are sponsoring will not leave the party with them.
TINUBU, OBI POISE TO REAP FROM PDP WOES
With the seemingly intractable crisis within the PDP, the candidates of the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi respectively, are favoured to reap bountifully from the crisis bedeviling the major opposition party.
Going by recent development and pronouncements by individual members of the G-5, except if PDP finds a solution on time, PDP’s loss in the South West would be APC’s gain. In October, Makinde declared that wherever the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political group, Afenifere, leans toward, will also be his choice.
It was a subtle solidarity message to the presidential candidate of the APC in the 2023 general election.
Also, former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, a member of the Integrity Group, has never hidden his support for Tinubu, while Wike himself has been freely associating with top members of the ruling party.
Wike caused not a little stir when he endorsed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as against his party’s candidate for 2023, claiming the Lagos governor has performed very well.
On the other hand, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, maintains a very warm relationship with Peter Obi.
Governor Ortom shocked many people in October when he declared that he would have worked for Obi if he was not in PDP. It was at the visit of the Labour Party’s candidate to the state to commiserate with Governor Ortom and other victims over the flood tragedy that ravaged the state.
“We are not saying that they have no right to be aggrieved but what we are saying is that they should not spoil their case by fronting personal interest above national interest”
The Benue governor said the 2023 presidential election would be a three-horse race between Obi, Atiku and Tinubu. Ortom said Nigerians need to assess the three presidential candidates and elect the person “who has the capacity to deliver and make things work for our country Nigeria”.
“Let us be factual. Let us be frank with ourselves because we are toying with our future. A country of over 200 million people deserves a better leadership that is proactive, has foresight and vision to make things work for our country,” he said.
However, Kolapo Alimi dismissed the chances of other presidential candidates.
He said Tinubu lacked solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, saying that if the former governor of Lagos State had any, he would have communicated such to President Muhammadu Buhari whom he vigorously campaigned for in 2015 and 2019.
He said, “We are confident that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will win the election. In relation to the G-5 that we are talking about, there is no doubt that they are important leaders of the party but I want to assure you that the era of a leader just grandstanding and commanding the people to vote for a particular candidate has gone. The people of Nigeria have actually suffered under the current President, Muhammadu Buhari, because if you look at the hardship, let’s take it from the price of gas, look at the price of petrol, kerosene, rice, foodstuffs, you will see that everything has skyrocketed.
“So, people have decided to change the government; people are saying change the change. And if you know the main contender, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, he was among the people who were at the forefront to campaign for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and 2019. Let’s assume Asiwaju Tinubu has any magic, why did he not give it to Muhammadu Buhari to solve Nigeria’s problems? So, the only conclusion we can see from that is that he doesn’t have any solution. Whatever they are saying now, they are just saying it to camouflage and to deceive Nigeria again.”
In like manner, a PDP chieftain, Dan Ulasi, claimed the chances of Atiku clearing the votes from the South East states were bright regardless of the fact that Peter Obi is from the zone.
Ulasi, the former state chairman of the party in Anambra State emphatically said the South East is a stronghold of the party and as far as he knows, nothing has changed.
“I am not losing sleep over PDP and Atiku’s victory in the South East. It is very clear that we have the states of the region, the G5 or Integrity Group as they call themselves notwithstanding. I have been in this game of politics. I have colleagues and friends all over the country. We talk with each other and discuss. I am speaking from the angle of an informed person. There’s no way the PDP, our party will lose any state in the South East. Check very well, our people are PDP and nothing has changed.”
Ulasi who also was the state chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention argued that the governors who are aggrieved have the right but maintained that they must put national interest above personal interest.
“We are not saying that they have no right to be aggrieved but what we are saying is that they should not spoil their case by fronting personal interest above national interest. Anything that has to do with the choice of President of our great country is a national not personal affair therefore, the five governors and those backing them should rethink and allow peace to reign in our party because Nigerians are hoping for the PDP to deliver them from the mess APC has driven them into.
“You can’t beat a child and tell him not to cry but there is an extent to which a child should cry and stop. What they are doing has seriously turned to mockery. I am assuring them that PDP is on the ground solidly in the zone and no matter what they do, Atiku will have a landslide victory. Let me tell you, our candidate, Atiku Abubakar is loved by the people of the South East and they will vote massively for him. Again, an average Igbo man knows that the fastest, easiest way to get the presidency is the PDP and Atiku. When he came to a town hall meeting in Enugu, he assured us that after his tenure he will work for us to have it and the Igbo leaders have seen he is sincere with the promise. So, we know where we are voting and it is PDP and Atiku.”
