The Presidential Flagbearer of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has assured that the party is united and passing through democratic reinvention.
He said that agitations being experienced in the party presently is borne out of a collective concern for the growth of our party and the country adding that he does not see a divided house but an opportunity to come together stronger and united.
This is even as stakeholders are sharply divided over the choice of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as Vice Presidentual Candidate as against gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who was overwhelmly voted for by majority of members of the PDP Vice Presidential candidate selection committee.
Though party has been hailed as the only major political party to have sorted the issue of running mate but the choice of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa seems to be tearing the party apart.
Several PDP chieftains have openly challenged the process leading to the choice of Okowa, as many accused Atiku of underming the report of the 17-man committee he constituted to assist him in the choice of running mate.
Governor Wike had earlier said he would not accept to be running mate to anyone. “I’m not coming out to negotiate to be vice to anyone, I’m coming out to contest for the number one position in the country,” he had said.
But recent development showed that Wike is embittered that he was not the favoured running mate despite coming second at the national competition.
Some stake holders including former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose and Governor Samuel Ortom have criticised Atiku for not reaching out to Wike when he decided to change the recommendations of the committee.
Ortom on Wednesday accused the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, of failing to honour the democratic choice in the selection of his running mate.
Ortom also noted the failure of Atiku to reach out to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and some other aggrieved members of the party after picking Governor Okowa as his vice-presidential candidate has created a very big hole in the cohesion of the party.
Fayose an ally of Wike, who also contested against Atiku for the party ticket, took to his official Twitter handle, @GovAyoFayose on Wednesday to champion the clamour for southern presidency.
The tweet read, “The PDP constitution provides for a rotational Presidency. Section 3(c) provides that the party shall pursue its aims and objectives by “adhering to the policy of the rotation & zoning of party & public elective offices in pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness.”
Amidst these confusion in the opposition party, Atiku in a statement on Sunday said that he will reunite the party pointing out that what PDP is experiencing at the moment is a manifestation of democracy saying that political conflict is a healthy reality.
He said, “So, a remarkable lesson that I have learned in politics is that in some instances, conflicts are healthy realities.
“I know, for instance, that when conflicts arise out of genuine concerns about having an inclusive political process, it signposts the viability of that process and, more importantly, the eagerness of stakeholders to be active participants in the success of such process.
“As leaders and stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party, the simmering agitations in our party are a reflection of our credential as a democratic party.
“Whatever our agitations are, I believe it is borne out of a collective concern for the growth of our party and the country. Therefore, I don’t see a divided house in the PDP. I see an opportunity for us to come together stronger and united.
“As a presidential candidate of the PDP, I shall ensure that I do my all to bring the party together under a formidable umbrella.
“We must not lose focus of the bigger purpose of rescuing the country from the hardship that fellow Nigerians continue to endure under the ruling party.
“When the PDP gets better, the hopes in Nigerians gets even higher that rescue is imminent” Atiku stated.