Indications that the ice has finally been broken in the protracted face-off between presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, emerged on Thursday night.
Several reports had it that the long awaited meeting between the two chieftains of the opposition PDP finally took place in London.
Though details of the meeting remain sketchy as at the time of filling this report, it could only be about the 2023 presidential election and the need for the party to forge a united front so as to win back the seat of power it lost in 2015.
Emerging photos from the meeting showed that beside Atiku and Wike, there were Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and their Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom.
Earlier on Thursday, Atiku had assured his supporters that Wike and his counterparts in other states were working for his victory in next year’s presidential election and that they should refrain from making inciting statements, in the face of a well known disagreement, that could affect the ongoing internal reconciliation process.
Atiku, in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said “it has become imperative to appeal to all party members, leaders and everyone related to, connected with or associated with the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, to desist from making comments that potentially reduce the optics of PDP’s image as a united political party.
“This appeal becomes necessary in order to call the attention of party leaders and members to the diversionary antics of the ruling All Progressives Congress which, in manufacturing a false impression of division within the PDP, aims to hoodwink the Nigerian public to overlook the monumental failures of the ruling party.
“Today, Nigerians look up to the Peoples Democratic Party to lead the charge in ousting the ruling party. This expectation from the people is the reason why the APC is jittery of their impending fall in next year’s general election. It is also the very reason why the ruling party is manipulating the political process to create a sense of division in the PDP.
“Because they know that there is nothing to campaign with from their records of performance in office, the APC has elected to play the role of the devil’s advocate, regaling in celebration of their imaginary invincibility upon a fraudulent claim that the PDP is divided.
“It is for this reason that appeal to every true member of the PDP and anyone who truly wishes the success of the PDP presidential candidate to not fall for the antics of the APC in making statements that could give credence to the false claim of divisions in the PDP.”
Also on Thursday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo also met with the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, and Wike in London. Wike attended the meeting with his allies including Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, among others.
The Thursday meetings followed a similar meeting the previous day with the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
