The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has directed his loyalists to desist from the media attack on Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State and his supporters.
Wike who felt betrayed after the presidential primaries of the party has been indifferent in supporting Atiku and has given the presidential flag bearer of the party some conditions in other to rally behind him, including the resignation of the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
The rift between Atiku and Wike boiled over in June when the former dumped the Rivers Governor for the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
However, the rift between was being exacerbated by exchange of harsh comments in the media between loyalists of the two feuding PDP chieftains with the recent being the attack by the former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido leading the media attack on Wike and saying that the Rivers governor’s influence in the PDP was being exaggerated.
Lamido’s comment was in response to a veiled threat by Wike to work against Atiku’s interest in the 2023 presidential election.
Amid the rift, the Rivers governor and some PDP governors in his camp have, in the last few weeks, been holding meetings with some key leaders of the ruling APC within and outside the country.
In responds to the media debacle, Atiku in a statement on Thursday by his media adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, said the media attacks were capable of compromising the on-going effort to resolve the festering rift between him and the Rivers Governor.
The former vice president made the call shortly after the news broke that Wike and three other PDP governors met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in London on Thursday. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi was also said to be part of the London meeting.
Reports also indicated that Atiku was scheduled to have a meeting with Wike and his camp in London late on Thursday.
The statement 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 (PDP) 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.
“All the leaders of the party, including especially the governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Nyesom Wike and all governors of the PDP are united in working for the victory of the PDP in next year’s general election across board.
“What is at stake in the next year’s election is the future of Nigeria and all leaders and members of the PDP are on the same page in the mission to rescue Nigeria from the stranglehold of the APC.”
