There are signs of a growing rapprochement between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the splinter G-5 as the governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal has visited the governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom who is an avowed member of the group.
The G-5 wants the resignation the party’s national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, insisting that northerners should not hold both the presidential candidate and chairmanship seats.
The group is made up of the governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike as the arrowhead; Mr. Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); and Ortom.
Amid the crisis, Wike and his allies have recused themselves from the PDP presidential campaign council.
Tambuwal who also serves as the director general of the PDP presidential campaign council, visited Ortom yesterday in Makurdi, Benue State as part of moves to reconcile the aggrieved governors with the party.
It was learnt that during the meeting, Tambuwal made a passionate plea to Ortom to appeal to Wike to let bygones be bygones and return to the fold “for the sake of our great party.”
“Tambuwal knows how close Ortom and Wike are. So he deemed it necessary to meet Ortom during his (Tambuwal’s) first political reconciliatory journey before having any interface with the other G-5 members.
“It was a frank discussion and we hope reason will prevail in the end,” a source in Tambuwal’s camp told NewsGazette.
On whether Tambuwal had reached out to Wike since the crisis started considering that in 1999 they were so close that the latter supported and funded the former’s presidential ambition, the source said: “Let’s be truthful. Tambuwal’s action during the last PDP primary was the unkindest cut to Wike. I’m not privy to know what people do when they are on their own. I want to believe that they have been talking. However, their discussion may not be as cordial as it should be considering what happened at the May 28 PDP presidential primaries.”
Recall that the PDP presidential standard bearer, Mr. Atiku Abubakar, emerged winner at the primaries with 371 votes while Wike polled 237 votes.
Recall that after the presidential contestants had addressed the party’s delegates, Tambuwal mounted the rostrum the second time to announce his stepping down for Atiku.
“I have come to the conclusion – to the glory of God Almighty, seeing millions of Nigerians suffering and the need for us to close ranks in the party and as one of the leaders in this party – I have come to a patriotic conclusion to step down my aspiration,” the former Speaker of the House of Representatives told the gathering.
“And not only that, I have appealed to my supporters to take this in good strides and for national unity and patriotism – not only that, those who are delegates here – should vote for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”
That action set off the frosty relationship between the two erstwhile political friends.
However, speaking with journalists after yesterday’s meeting Tambuwal said the party was interested in bringing everybody on board to work together.
However, he said politicians will always disagree but stressed the need to seek reconciliation and mend fences, most times, help rebuild the ranks of members for a stronger purpose.
“Internal party wrangling are normal and what we have been having is not a war of attrition but disagreement. We, even in our families, have reasons to disagree several times and even come back stronger. So, it’s a work in progress. We are interested in bringing everybody together and working together.
Responding, Ortom commended Tambuwal for the move to initiate peace talks and blamed the lingering crisis in the PDP to the party leaders’ arrogance and nonchalance.
However, he advised Tambuwal to reach out to the other G-5 members.
“The leadership of this party has failed in taking advantage of the challenges of the party and make it stronger. They have failed to do this. Rather, it is arrogance, it is nonchalance attitude. Nobody has cared to reach out to us even when we voiced out that things weren’t going well.
“Instead of the party deploying its internal conflict resolution mechanism to look at the grievances that arose as a result of the primaries, no matter how stupid they were, they have failed to do this. Rather it is arrogance and a nonchalant attitude.
“Nobody has cared to reach out to us even when we voiced out that things were not going on well.
“For me, I commend him (Tambuwal) for taking this step to visit me and we have discussed my opinion on how I think this matter can be resolved and I believe that as a leader and as director general of the campaign, he will do the needful because I am not alone.
“Talking to me alone will not solve the problem, but reaching out to others will be more meaningful. I also believe he will also try to do the needful to put the party together as it is,” Ortom said.
