Atiku-Wike spat won’t tear PDP apart – Ex-chair Baraje

Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abubakar Baraje, says the current disagreement between PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State cannot destroy the party.

The nomination of Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as vice-presidential candidate to its presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, has thrown the PDP into an internal crisis.

Wike, who came second in the presidential primary won by Atiku, has continued to disagree with the party since he lost the vice-presidential slot to Okowa.

He has since been romancing some prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress despite his insistence not to leave PDP.

Baraje, who spoke on the issue on Arise TV on Wednesday, said PDP had been following due process in resolving its post-convention crisis, assuring that Wike remains a prominent member of the party.

He said although he was aware that Wike had been meeting and inviting APC members, the governor had not done anything against the party, adding that PDP chieftains were working to resolve the crisis.

Baraje also urged party members to be patient and give them time to resolve the crisis, adding that Wike’s issue cannot tear the party apart.

He said, “It is because we have not finished some of our homework that’s why we’ve postponed many of our meetings. The meeting of the caucus, the meeting of the NEC, and the meeting of the BOT.

”We have set up various subcommittees and committees within the party, and the report of this committee have started coming in. And we’ve given them a mandate, we’ve given them timeline. And we’ve to wait for them to complete whatever they’re doing.

”I just appeal to the aggrieved members particularly, to please give us time to solve the problem.

”The problem of governor Wike is not extraordinary. And it’s not an issue that will tear the party apart. The party has been there, it’s still there, and it will continue to be there.”