One of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Jerry Gana, has lamented that some powerful forces were frustrating efforts to reconcile all aggrieved actors in the party, particularly the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Gana, a former Minister of Information, who said this in a statement in Abuja at the weekend, added that the purveyors of discord in the party were doing so because of what they were benefitting from the present crisis.
In the statement, Gana said, “Our attention has been drawn to some fake news, making it necessary to issue this firm statement.
“News in the media that Governor Nyesom Wike has commenced legal proceedings, challenging the outcome of the 2022 PDP presidential primary is false.
“We unequivocally state that Wike has not and will not challenge the outcome of the just concluded PDP presidential primaries in court.
“He has long moved beyond such an action to focus on matters of how best to ensure victory for the PDP in the forthcoming elections”.
Gana described as false reports alleging Wike had instructed the removal of the ceremonial PDP flags and insignia from the Government House and Governor’s Office.
He said: “This again is false and misleading. The Rivers State governor never gave such instructions.
“It appears that some forces within and outside the party are expressly opposed to the reconciliation moves between Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Wike.
“Such malicious efforts will surely fail by the grace of God.
“Let me assure all party faithful and supporters that we are strongly determined to ensure the success of the current reconciliation process.
“Building a stronger and more united Peoples Democratic Party is our priority as we move towards the 2023 general election.”
Meanwhile, amid confusion over the identity of the person who took Atiku to court, a former presidential aspirant on the party’s platform, Dr Cosmos Ndukwe, has claimed responsibility for the suit.
His clarification came following Wike and his team’s denial that the governor sued his party’s presidential flagbearer.
Ndukwe, a former Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, whose name didn’t appear in the suit, however, claimed ownership of the suit.
He said he decided to take Atiku and PDP to court for gross violation of the party’s constitution on zoning.
The erstwhile presidential aspirant argued that PDP had over the years enshrined zoning in its constitution and observed the same for equity and justice but expressed shock that the party, for no justifiable reasons, decided to jettison zoning in choosing its presidential flagbearer for 2023.
The former Chief of Staff to Abia State governor said he had before the primaries gone to court to challenge the refusal of the party to zone its presidential ticket to the South.
Ndukwe further explained that when the matter was decided in his favour at the High Court, the defendants appealed the judgement at the Court of Appeal which overturned the decision of the High Court.
The former Commissioner for Trade and Industry in Abia State, said he decided to take the matter to the apex court for final determination.
He said the necessary parties were, last Thursday, served with the court processes, adding that it was likely that some people in Atiku’s camp misunderstood it and attributed it to Wike.
Ndukwe said, “That suit they are saying Wike went to court is my suit. Wike did not go to any court. It’s I that went to court because PDP violated its constitution.
“The matter is now at the Supreme Court. The court processes were served on the necessary parties on Thursday. That’s why they thought it was Wike”.
Ndukwe said he thought PDP had learnt its lessons on the consequences of impunity but regretted that the party still violated its constitution because of vested interest of some people.
The alleged plaintiff, who is also a former General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), vowed that the party should not be allowed to get away with the gross violation of its constitution.
He argued that nobody compelled PDP to factor in zoning in its constitution, and insisted that the party must be made to obey its constitution not minding who it favoured.
“We decided to move to the Supreme Court. The apex court will hear the matter and decide within 45 days”, he stated.
“I am very optimistic that the Supreme Court will give its judgment based on equity and justice. It is a constitutional matter and nobody will violate the constitution and be allowed to go free.
“How can PDP not obey the constitution it made for itself? Now they are claiming they are operating the Nigerian constitution that allows for freedom of association. But the question is: was the party forced to make its constitution that recognised zoning?
“You know there is Nigerian Constitution that allows for freedom of association and you decided to make your constitution which of course is binding on you.
“PDP agreed on zoning even when other parties were not interested in it, and the party has always respected it. You said zoning is for fairness and equity, so, why is it at this point that PDP wants to throw away zoning?
“The party used the same zoning in selecting its hierarchy but when it came to presidential candidates it jettisoned zoning.
“Now, every serious position in PDP is occupied by northerners. The North has the presidential candidate, national chairman, and chairman of the Board of Trustees. Where is South in all these? The South, especially South-East, is totally out of the game.
“Atiku is even thinking of picking his Campaign Director General from the West. So, where is South-East in PDP which the zone invested so much to form and incubated?”