Struggle to woo Wike: Atiku strikes meeting in London, as Obi, Obasanjo, others meet Wike

…Reconciliation moves in PDP, APC firm-up as Tinubu sets to meet APC presidential aspirants

…Atiku warns supporters, party stakeholders against deriding Wike

By Moses Adeniyi

The struggle by the major political blocs to gain Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on their side, has grown tougher as political gladiators from each camp have continued to hasten moves to strike a deal with the Governor.

Although, Wike belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the fall-out of the Governor with the Partys Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has opened the door for opposition camps to seek to woo him to their sides.

While Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, met Wike in London on Wednesday, a meeting which was put in place to woo the Governor to work for the APC in the 2023 Presidential Election, more visits from other political camps followed suit on Thursday, making the struggle a hot seat.

Atiku who had been on a fall-out with the Governor since the primary election of the PDP, won by the former, flew into London so as to meet with Wike after a series of peace meeting with him to settle scores  proved abortive.

However, the narratives of wooing Wike took a more controversial form, as  former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was on Thursday alongside the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State, spotted in a joint photograph with Wike in London.

Although details behind the photograph was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, it might not be unconnected to the permutations ahead the 2023 presidential elections, particularly as it concerns wooing Wike who is believed to wield a strong political influence in the South-south.

Recall that the meetings with Wike on Thursday trailed Tinubu’s visit to the Governor on Wednesday, a development which sources claimed the Governor has assured his support to work for the APC and its presidential candidate in 2023.

…Reconciliation moves in PDP, APC firm-up as Tinubu sets to meet APC presidential aspirants

Meanwhile, in the APC, Tinubu in a bid to settle scores with aggrieved members is set to meet Aspirants who participated in the last presidential primary election of the APC.

Schedule for the meeting slated for next week, less than six months to the Presidential election slated for February 28, 2023, was disclosed in a statement signed on Thursday in Abuja by the media office of the APC’s youngest presidential aspirant, Dr. Nicolas Felix.

Among those expected to be in attendance are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Science and Technology Minister, Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.

Others include five governors who participated in the exercise, namely Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Ben Ayade (Cross River), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti).

Also listed Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; former Ogun state governor and serving senator, Ibikunle Amosun; another serving senator, Ajayi Boroffice; former Zamfara governor, Ahmad Sani; former Imo State governor and serving senator, Rochas Okorocha; a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; fiery cleric, Tunde Bakare; Pastor and Businessman, Dr. Nicolas Felix; former Information Minister, Ikeobasi Mokelu; businessman, Tein Jack-Rich and the only female among them, Uju Ken-Ohanenye.

The statement partly reads; “The special invitation to the strategic meeting of all 2023 APC Presidential Aspirants which will be held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, on Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 by 2pm is to brainstorm on adopting winning campaign strategies that will carry every Nigerian along and address the challenges bedeviling our country.”

The Aspirants’ last outing together was the APC presidential primary which held at the Eagle Square from June 7 to 10.

…Atiku warns supporters, party stakeholders against deriding Wike

As peace talks keep Nigerians on suspense, the PDP Board of Trustees as at the time of filing this report, has said it was still expecting the report of the reconciliation panel set up to look into the feud between Atiku and Wike.

Meanwhile, as Atiku muster moves to settle with Wike, the former has warned his aides, close associates and all party stakeholders against making utterances capable of jeopardising the ongoing peace process.

The appeal came on the heels of a backlash generated by comments made by one of his close associates and former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido against Wike.

Lamido had while featuring in a television interview alleged that Wike was acting like an Emperor who was giving an impression that the people of the State were subservient to his whims and would vote as he (Wike) directs in 2023.

In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, in Abuja, on Thursday, Atiku further called on all stakeholders of the PDP and his supporters to desist forthwith from making statements that are capable of compromising the ongoing work towards further strengthening the party and bringing all its leaders together.

The statement read partly, “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.”