Wike unsettles Atiku, sinking PDP towards 2027

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, perpetually unsettles former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  since the 2023 general elections, as preparations for the 2027 general elections covertly garner momentum across the country.

Delegates at PDP National Convention in Abuja

The post-primary rift between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has continued to deepen the crack in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), culminating in perpetual exodus of notable party leaders to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The inability of PDP leaders to resolve the dissent of Wike after the party’s National Convention in Abuja in 2022 where Atiku won the PDP presidential ticket, precipitated intractable internal conflict that lingered into the gradual sinking of the party, in the subtle buildup to the 2027 general elections, two years into the first tenure of President Bola Tinubu.

Wike at PDP National Convention in Abuja

Wike led four other governors, comprising of   Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, former Governor Sam Ortom of Benue State, former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, and former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, to protest his defeat at the PDP National Convention held in Abuja on May 29, 2022. The crux of their protest ab initio was the zoning of the presidential ticket of political parties to south for the 2023 general elections.

At the PDP National Convention, Atiku defeated Wike with 371 votes, as the former Rivers State Governor had 237 votes.

The remote phase of the conflict after the national convention was the demand by the G5 for the removal of the then PDP  National Chairman, Iyorcha Ayu, since Atiku, a northerner picked the party’s presidential ticket. This was resisted unto the defeat of the PDP ion the 2023 presidential election, won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the APC.

The impasse escalated to a high altitude that the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku, was unable to go to Rivers State for the party’s presidential campaign.

Subsequently, in the effort to mitigate the seemingly intractable conflict,  there was recommendation that Atiku should pick Wike as his running mate. Again, this was turned down. Atiku rather went for former Governor Ifeanyi Okowsa of Delta State.

Atiku at PDP Presidential Primary in Abuja

Ayu was, thereafter, replaced by Amb. Iliya Umar Damagun as Acting National Chairman. There was the innuendo that Wike and his group masterminded the emergence of Damagun as national chairman.

In furtherance of the internal rivalries, which include attempts to change the national leadership of the PDP, there has been perennial defection from the PDP to the ruling APC by notable members of the party, including those in the national and states assemblies.

The PDP was devastatingly hit by the defection of the party’s vice presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who in conjunction with Governor Sheriff Oborevweri, led the entire governance structure of the PDP, including stakeholders in the Delta State House of Assembly, commissioners, advisers, local government elected officials and other party members, to defect from the PDP to the APC on Wednesday.

There are insinuations that more PDP governors would dump the party for the APC.

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, in projected to join the APC at his convenient time. The governor was gathered to have declared support for President Tinubu  for the 2027 presidential election, even while he is still leading the Akwa Ibom State PDP.

Governor Seyi Makinde, an ally of Wike and member of the G5, is widely perceived to be sitting on the fence in-wait. Same is being said of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.

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Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North in the National Assembly, had earlier dumped the PDP for the APC, citing irreconcilable internal rift in the party.

At every stage, Wike unsettles Atiku continually, seemingly having firm control of the PDP. The defections so far, indicate that the PDP has been depopulated and may be bleeding and in need of political therapy.

While, Wike unsettles Atiku, some were of the view that the minister is having proxy war with Atiku, a seeming Cold War.

The crisis in Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, exacerbate the conflict in the party, save for the intervention of President Tinubu, and the recent consultation between the President and Fubara, including Wike for the resolution of the Rivers crisis where the lawmakers were deployed to impeach the governor.

There are concerns that the defections may degenerate into reviving north/south  dichotomy in Nigeria’s political landscape towards 2027.