Akani Alaka
Many members of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are yet to forgive former Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, for what they believed was the incalculable damages he did to the chances of their party to regain its status as Nigeria’s ruling party in the 2023 elections.
Wike had led four of his colleagues elected on the platform of the PDP, otherwise called ‘G5’ in opposition to the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, later declaring support for Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC who was elected the president in the February 25 election.
As was revealed during a meeting called by the PDP for a review of the performance of the party in the 2023 general elections last week, many members of the party still believe that Wike’s rebellion was a key factor in the failure of the party to regain the Presidency.
Some members of the party had during the meeting mooted the idea of punishing members who engaged in anti-party activities with Wike obviously on top of their minds as the chief culprit.
However, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Damagum, opposed the move as he insisted that the meeting was called for the reconciliation of members, not for sharing of the blame on the party’s outing at the general elections. Wike and his allies were not present at the meeting.
As was gathered by The Nigerian Xpress, the leadership of PDP is being careful not to deepen the crisis in the party by going after the former Rivers State governor and his allies who were also all former governors.
‘Frustrating PDP’
However, while the PDP leadership has been coy in their reaction to his alleged anti-party activities, Wike, since 29 May when he vacated office as governor has not hidden his intention either weaken or take over the party by ensuring that the key positions go to his allies.
He was a key agent of the APC and President Bola Tinubu in the battle to ensure that the ruling party has its way in the June 13 election of presiding officers of the National Assembly. Wike had declared his support for former Governor Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas favoured by the APC as the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.
PDP members had hoped for a repeat of the 2015 scenario in which a rebellious member of the ruling party is backed for the position of the senate president while they get the position of the deputy by supporting former governor Abdulaziz Yari who defied the APC to contest for the position.
PDP with 36 senators had hope that it could rally 14 other senators spread across the other minority parties to ensure Yari’s emergence as Senate President and guarantee the position of the deputy for itself.
“We the PDP and other minority political parties are united and we shall maximally decide how the presiding officers of the National Assembly emerge,” Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP had boasted days to the National Assembly election.
But the intervention by Wike had ensured that PDP senators did not put up a united front during the contest.
He had rallied senators, especially, those elected from Rivers and states of his allies in the G5 against Yari with the argument that the third highest position in the country should not go to a Muslim among other entreaties.
Thus, it was not a surprise that one of the first points of the call of Akpabio was the Asokoro, Abuja home of the former governor after he was elected.
Reps Minority Leader In the Bag?
The same scenario played out in the House of Reps where a member from Rivers and key acolyte of Wike, Kingsley Chinda, formed a multi-partisan coalition called Joint Task which mobilized support for Abbas, the APC-endorsed candidate.
However, while Wike had helped the APC have its way in the choice of the presiding officers, he has now shifted attention to the eight positions that will be given to the opposition party – the Minority Leader, Minority Whip and their deputies in both chambers of the National Assembly.
In the battle, just like in the general election, Wike, as was learnt is determined to ensure that interests loyal to Atiku and his camp in the PDP are shut out of the positions.
In the House of Representatives, for example, Wike’s ally, Chinda has already been pencilled down for the position of Minority Leader.
Chinda was said to have been endorsed for the position by consensus at a meeting of the PDP minority caucus about two weeks ago at a hotel in Abuja.
Oluwole Oke representing the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, who had the support of Atiku was compelled to step down following unanimous endorsement of Chinda.
In the same vein, a member of the Labour Party, George Ozodinobi, emerged as the deputy minority leader of the House.
Against Tambuwal
However, it seems PDP Senators are determined to ensure that the former Rivers governor may not have his way so smoothly in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
This is especially given the furore generated by Wike’s marathon meeting with the President of the Senate last Thursday.
Aside from Akpabio, the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, some APC senators and recently appointed Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (Senate) to President Tinubu, Senator Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel were also part of the meeting. Wike left the meeting without speaking to journalists.
But there were speculations that he had discussed his choice of the Senate Minority Leader and the deputy as well as how to stop the PDP’s preferred candidates with his hosts.
The ruling APC has 59 senators; PDP, 36, LP, eight; SDP, two; NNPP, two; YPP, one; and APGA, one in the Red Chamber. Hence, the PDP is in a position to produce the Senate minority leader.
Some of the PDP senators mentioned as being interested in the positions include Senators Aminu Tambuwal, Francis Fadahunsi, Abdul Ningi, Adamu Aliero and Seriake Dickson. However, there were speculations that the PDP may have endorsed the former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal as the Senate minority leader.
The PDP is said to be backing Tambuwal, also a former Speaker of the House of Representatives for the position. But Wike with the support of Akpabio, is said to be opposed to the emergence of Tambuwal. For one, Wike believed Tambuwal colluded with Atiku to deny him the presidential ticket of the party in 2022.
The APC is also wary of having the former governor who led the campaign of Atiku against Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
We’ll Resist APC, Wike
However, eight senators elected on the platform of different opposition parties in a statement on Saturday indicated that they would resist the plan by Wike and APC to impose their choice of leaders on them. According to them, the plot by Wike and APC amounted to an attempt to shut up opposition voices in the Red Chamber.
The senators cautioned that the plot may jeopardise the promise of the opposition parties to work constructively with the new Senate leadership and the Executive branch to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people.
“We consequently hereby advise and caution that they should not aid any group inside or outside the Senate to divide and destabilise the minority parties and the Senate institution.
“Senators of the minority parties would meet when the Senate reconvenes and, in consultation with our respective political parties, would select its leaders without undue interference from anti-democratic forces within or outside the Senate.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any minority position, as this would await due process as agreed by all minority parties in their last meeting.
“Attempts to foist a one-party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail. We call on all members of the minority political parties to work together in unity to defend the democratic institution of the Senate and Nigeria,” the Senators said in a statement signed by Adamu Aliero, Henry Seriake Dickson, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abdul Ningi and Patrick Abba Moro for the PDP; Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi for LP; Kawu Samaila for NNPP and Ifeanyi Ubah for YPP.
However, the only APGA senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe and the two SDP Senators, Godiya Akwashiki and Ahmed Wadada did not sign the statement.
There were speculations that Wike and the APC are backing Abaribe who defected from the PDP to APGA to contest for the position of Senate minority leader.
It will no doubt be an interesting battle to see if Wike will continue to triumph against the wishes of his party, the PDP, when the Senate resumes on July 4.