Politics
PDP Crisis: Atiku’s Attempt To Reconcile With Aggrieved Govs Tardy – Osita Okechukwu
Atiku Abubakar’s efforts to make amends with Gov. Nyesom Wike’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), according to Osita Okechukwu, Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), are tardy.
For any northerner to consider leading the nation when President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, a fellow northerner, completes his term in office in May 2023, according to him, would be unfair and unpatriotic to the southern region of the nation.
He asserts that it is absurd for the veteran former vice president to believe that the 1999 Constitution’s Federal Character concept and the justice of rotation convention applied to the PDP’s Constitution will be simply ignored.
In a statement in Abuja titled, “Atiku’s attempt to reconcile with Wike-G-5 -Masquerade is belated by headwinds”, the APC chieftain described the assertion made by the Waziri Adamawa as hallucination and medicine after death.
“And on the issue that APC would loose 2023 presidential election and collapse, being a contraption of Tinubu’s party and defunct CPC, Okechukwu exclaimed, “Is it not an express loss of memory for His Excellency who was a member of the newPDP that joined in the formation of the APC, to attempt to rewrite history in pursuit of his presidential ambition?”
“This is one of the major headwinds that is blocking his puerile reconciliation with Wike-G-5-Masquerade. Atiku is a foremost beneficiary of rotation convention in 2018, during PDP’ presidential primary in Port Harcourt, which Wike hosted. It’s trite law that he who comes to equity will come with clean hands.”
Apparently referring to the recent meeting of the Wike-G-5 Masquerade with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, Okechukwu posited that the virile letter Bala wrote to Atiku penultimate week, questioned the integrity of the former Vice-President.
“How can he wage a proxy political war against the Bauchi governor? News filtered that Atiku questioned his temerity not to step down like Governor Aminu Tambuwal. This is one of the headwinds which will make reconciliation impossible.”
“Thus the movement of the Wike-G-5-Masquerade northwards, is afloat, obviously sounding the death knell for Atiku’s ambition.”
“Methinks Wike-G-5-Masquerade, which is frantically chasing Atiku because of his infidelity to the South and PDP’s Constitution, which is the breach of power rotation between north and south; is driving him into state of delusion. For the other day, in Arewa Summit he admonished the north not to vote for Yoruba or Igbo, an unpresidential goof and, in the present instance distorting the genesis and capacity of the APC.
“Ironically, whilst Atiku is de-marketing the APC as if he has no baggage, the Wike-G-5’s masquerade is extending its fangs northwards the unintended consequence is definitely erosion of Atiku’s victory.
“If Atiku cannot unite his party, curb Peter Obi’s widespread erosion of PDP’s support base nationwide and design how to pick the remaining votes from Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s dominance in the Kano how can he win?
“The Wike-G-5-Masquerade had bolted. The so called reconciliation is a kind of medicine after death, because it is said that there is no repentance in the grave. I doubt that the Wike I know will recruit 200,000 Special Assistants for Atiku’s victory. The Wike-G-5-Masquerade are aware and experienced enough to appreciate the dangers of the Daggers-Syndrome.
“In the parlance of Italian Mafia, you cannot pull the Dagger or Pistol and put it back in the holster. You must shoot or you are killed. They know the Atiku’s DNA-Vengeance like most politicians is of high degree. He will never forgive them if he wins. And Nigerian patriots will not forgive Wike-G-5 for pardoning a desperate politician that selfishly breached rotation convention.”
“Everything is not money, for one of the headwinds Atiku face nationwide undoubtedly is that most patriots are in the same rotation of power convention boat. This is for the harmonious and corporate existence of our dear country. Added to this is Peter Obi’s pedigree and Atiku’s unnecessary proxy war in Bauchi State.
“Southwest is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s base, if there is any opposition, that’s Peter Obi. Majority Southwest voters are sophisticated and sincerely are of the candid view that it is unfair for another northerner to preside over Nigeria immediately after President Buhari,” the DG VON said.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
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According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
ALSO READ: No Shake-Up in Ondo: Aiyedatiwa Denies Plot To Remove Deputy Gov
Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld a ban on the party’s proposed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-man panel of the appellate court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit concerning the controversial convention.
The Turaki-led faction had approached the Court of Appeal after a Federal High Court barred the party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
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The lower court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the proposed convention.
However, delivering judgment, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to entertain the case, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party.
According to the court, the appellants could not present what it described as a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as merely an internal party issue.
The panel subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The ruling is part of judgments delivered in nine harmonised appeals filed by the Turaki-led faction over the dispute surrounding the convention.
The latest court decision is expected to further intensify the internal wrangling within the opposition party as it continues to grapple with leadership disputes and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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