•Details Of Their New Deal For PDP
There is political tension going on
between FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State over
the control of the Peoples Democratic Party. Gov. Makinde had earlier alleged
that Wike was determined to “hold the PDP down” for President Bola Tinubu of
the APC ahead of the 2027 election. Don’t also forget that the PDP is
effectively split, with a Wike-backed faction (led by Abdulrahman Mohammed) and
another faction supported by Makinde and other governors. There has not been a
significant positive development in the PDP since the last Convention in
Ibadan, a few months back. At that convention, Governor Makinde expelled
Minister Wike and his allies in an event marked with controversy. Since then,
the majority of PDP members are neither here nor there, as Governor Makinde’s
faction, which was earlier recognized as the authentic PDP, has now become
second fiddle, as an earlier pronouncement from the court clearly recognized
the Wike faction, and this has further weakened the party. All this has become
a major concern for top party members who still want the party to remain
vibrant and relevant.
The news now is that top members, led
by former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, have been working silently and
quietly behind the scenes to find a way for PDP’s survival. He has appealed to
FCT Minister and Governor Makinde to revive the party. The former Senate
President, believes the only way for PDP to bounce back is for Wike and
Governor Makinde to work together.
According to sources, Dr. Saraki met
with Wike a few weeks ago, and Wike promised he was ready to work with anyone,
including Governor Makinde, in PDP. However, we hear he has some conditions, one
of which is for Oyo State PDP to work for President Tinubu’s re-election in
2027, just as it was done in 2023. The issue of the successor to Governor Seyi
Makinde is another bone of contention, which has been the major priority of the
governor.
What we gathered is that during his
visit to Aso Rock, Governor Makinde mentioned the issue of his successor, and
the leader of the Oyo State political landscape ahead of 2027 was also
discussed. However, we hear that Governor Makinde has his own successor in mind,
and he will not compromise on that.
In the last few days, Dr. Saraki has
been working on a few details, and in a matter of weeks, both Wike and Governor
Makinde’s factions can work together in PDP.
Just a few days ago, Dr. Saraki also
stated that the party no longer has the luxury of time to continue the legal
battle, going by the Timetable already released by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC). “My own position is that the Court of Appeal has
ruled. However, with the revised timetable by INEC, it is obvious that there is
no time to wait for the Supreme Court decision. Otherwise, we would not meet
the deadlines for completing the process of nominating candidates,” Saraki
said. He warned that prolonging the legal fight could create uncertainty over
candidates contesting future elections on the PDP platform. Saraki stressed
that one of the key responsibilities of a political party is to provide a
platform for members seeking elective offices. He said that feuding leaders
should not allow personal interests and bruised egos to destroy the chances of
party members planning to contest elections in 2027. “Our focus should be on
how to get back on the path of full recovery, stability, and progress. Feuding
leaders should not allow their ego and personal differences to jeopardize the
aspirations of our members who want to contest elections on the PDP platform,”
he said. The former Senate President advised the party leadership to
immediately begin arrangements for a fresh national convention that would
comply with INEC guidelines.
He added that leaders of the party
must adopt a “give-and-take” approach to accommodate all interests and rebuild
unity ahead of the next general elections.
Don’t forget that Dr Bukola Saraki and
Nyesom Wike have maintained a political relationship built on mutual strategic
interests within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite navigating
different factions and Wike’s recent role in the All Progressives Congress
(APC) administration. Their connection is largely driven by political
pragmatism, a shared history of maneuvering within the PDP, and a mutual
respect for each other’s political intelligence and influence. Even when
governor Makinde led faction had a Convention in Ibadan a few months back, Dr
Saraki was absent because he had warned the Governor not to go ahead.
On the other hand, Wike has praised
Saraki as an intellectually sound and “deep” politician who matured
significantly in his leadership abilities. He has described Saraki as a, “an
elephant in the room” who speaks the truth to power, noting his growth from his
early days in the villa.
Many people don’t know that Wike
played a significant role in ensuring Saraki became Senate President in 2015,
often going against the preferred choices of the PDP leadership at that time.
This two political gladiators have been best of friends since then.
Despite being in opposing factions
after the 2023 PDP primaries, Saraki was tasked with heading the PDP’s National
Reconciliation Committee, where Wike expressed trust in his handling of the
responsibilities.
Both have historically collaborated to
manage the internal dynamics of the PDP. Even while Wike was aligning with the
ruling APC as a minister, he continued to engage in dialogue with PDP leaders
like Saraki, often meeting to discuss party affairs and “issues of mutual
interest.
Both politicians have shared interests
in ensuring the PDP remains a viable political platform, even when they
disagree on specific candidates or directions.
Isaac Abimbade
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