The internal wrangling in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new dimension as loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have reportedly thrown their weight behind former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, for the party’s national chairmanship position.
According to reports, the Wike camp has rejected the ongoing consensus arrangement championed by PDP governors, describing it as undemocratic and dangerous for the survival of the opposition party.
Wike, during his latest media chat, accused some PDP governors of attempting to hijack the party’s decision-making process.
“The way these present governors are doing, they will bury this party. Are you telling me that because I’m not a governor, you’ll hold a PDP stakeholders’ meeting and exclude me, and then expect the party to survive?” he fumed.
The former Rivers governor also dismissed rumours that his relationship with the All Progressives Congress (APC) was affecting his loyalty to the PDP.
“All these talks about APC are rubbish. You mean two or three people, because they are governors and receive large allocations, will decide for all of us? Follow who?” Wike asked.
Sources close to the Wike camp told Daily Trust that the group had settled for zoning the national chairmanship to the North Central, with Ortom emerging as the preferred candidate.
The faction argued that since former PDP chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who also hails from Benue State, did not complete his tenure, equity and balance demanded that the North Central retain the position.
To buttress their argument, the group reportedly referenced the APC’s internal replacement model, where the ruling party replaced Senator Abdullahi Adamu with another North Central politician, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, even after a brief leadership stint by former Kano Governor, Abdullahi Umar.
Political watchers believe this latest move could deepen the cracks within the PDP, especially as the November national convention draws near.
