4th October, 2022
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The meeting between members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) and a group demanding the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu led by Governor Nyesom Wike ended in a deadlock on Tuesday in Port Harcourt on Tuesday as both parties cannot agree on the way forward.
Senator Adolphus Wabara, acting chairman of the BoT of PDP led some chieftains of the party to the meeting.
Confirming that there was no concrete agreement on the contentious issue of Ayu continued stay in office, Wabara told journalists after the meeting that efforts to resolve the lingering crisis rocking the party is work in progress.
Wabara spoke to journalists after the closed door meeting with Wike.
The meeting, which lasted four hours had Dr. Ibrahim Idris, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), Dame Dr. Esther Uduehi and Hajiya Zainab Maina on the BOT delegation.
On the part of Governor Wike, were the Rivers State PDP chairman, ambassador Desmond Akawor, Rivers Elders Forum chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, former deputy speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, Senator Adawari Pepple, Elder Emmanuel Anyanwu, Senator Olaka Nwogu and Dr. Sam Sam Jaja.
Senator Wabara, who was former President of the Nigerian Senate, said the meeting afforded them the opportunity to properly understand the concerns of Governor Wike and are better informed about the crisis.
“We’ve been rubbing minds with His Excellency, the performing governor of Rivers State, Mr. Project. I think the meeting took about four hours.
“We have not concluded. It’s always easy to destroy but to make up, to make peace takes some time. But I think we are better informed, we have gotten some information. Every coin has two sides. We have been briefed by His Excellency. We will go back to Abuja to re-digest all that we gathered from His Excellency. We had very frank talks.”
Senator Wabara informed that they were taking what they have gathered from the Rivers State governor back to the larger BOT house in Abuja to take a position.
“I’m acting chairman of the Board of Trustees of this party. I do not have the exclusiveness to stand here and tell you what the Board of Trustees will come up with. We have come here, we are going back, we will convene a meeting of the Board of Trustees, brief them and that is when Nigerians will hear where the Board of Trustees stands. Since it is an advisory body, conscience of the party, we will be there to tell the party the truth and nothing but the truth about our findings.”
He said, since this was the first meeting of the BOT intervening in the crisis, they were optimistic of attending to the issues as a family.
“But one good thing is that this family remains one. You know, we are still under the umbrella called PDP and by the special grace of God, we will end up very victorious and we will end up in the Villa in May 2023 with his cooperation and support of other governors; four of them. I think we will make progress, no doubt about it.”
Senator Wabara, who described governor Wike as an inestimable asset to the PDP, pointed out that ahead of the 2023 general elections, the governor’s infrastructural development in Rivers State is already campaigning for the party.
In his speech, Governor Wike said what is important is to ensure that the unity of the party is not endangered.
Governor Wike reiterated that he and his allies were not leaving the party, but are more interested that the contending internal issues be addressed adequately.
“What’s important is that the house is united for the war that is coming in front. So, for me, the issues of whether they achieved peace or not today is immaterial. What is material is that PDP is united.
“What is important is to have unity, even if it takes you longer days. I think that is the message he (Wabara) is conveying.
“We have said repeatedly that we are not leaving the party. We have said so. But that does not mean that there are no internal issues that ought to be sorted out. I think what they are here for, is to see how they can sort out some internal issues.”