The chances of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) to secure majority votes in 2023 presidential election in Rivers state is being threatened as majority of its members have resolved to vote for any of the political parties with Southern presidential flag bearer in 2023 general elections.
Embittered by the treatment meted out to their leader and the Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, notable leaders of the party have been holding meetings with the leadership of the affected parties on the actualization of the Southern Presidential Agenda.
It will be recalled that Governor Wike, shortly after losing the party presidential ticket to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku had hinted of his plan to support any party that fields a Southerner as presidential candidate.
He, also, accused PDP governors from the South-South for betraying his cause to fly the banner of the PDP in 2023.
While the Rivers State Governor is still nursing his defeat at the party primary and alleged betrayal of by South-South governor, his woes was compounded with the nomination of the Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate of Alhaji Atiku after being shortlisted by the National Working Committee, (NWC) for the position.
Sensing the danger ahead, especially the non-attendance of Wike at the various meeting conveyed by the leadership of the party in recent time, the National Working Committee, (NWC) of the party has making frantic moves for reconciliation.
However, with the voting strength of the Rivers state, concerned members of the party are of the opinion that the leadership of the party should mount pressure on Wike and his teeming followers not to leave the party.
According to them, “since we lost the Presidency to the All Progressives Congress in 2015, Governor Wike has been a rallying point to all the Party members not only in the South-South but the entire Country.”
Corroborating this view, the Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom accused the party leadership and the presidential standard bearer of disrespecting the first runner up in the PDP presidential primary.
According to him, “My friend Governor Wike deserves vacation after the trauma that he went through. Some of us believe that he has the capacity and the charisma to lead this Country from bottom to top compared to what has been happening.
“Unfortunately, Nigerians or the PDP did not give him the opportunity, some of us rooted for him, I was amongst the 17-member committee that was set up by the candidate himself and the party. And some of us said that, for the vice presidency, for those of us in PDP, we needed Wike to be the vice president so that he can bridge the gap.
The development, according to the party source has forced members to seek alternatives in the leading opposition party.
“I can confide in you that we have been holding meetings with the leading opposition party in the State. This time around, it is not about Wike or Amaechi but the interest of the people from the Southern region.” The source said
