From Ismail Omipidan, Abuja
The long running battle in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over leadership tussle may not abate soon, sources told Daily Sun.
According to one of the sources, the deal between President Bola Tinubu and some PDP governors is partly responsible for the crisis of confidence rocking the party, a claim that was dismissed by a chieftain of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) last night.
But sources within the PDP insist that a gentleman pact had been sealed between President Tinubu and some of the PDP governors, especially those in the their first term.
“The pact is such that Mr. President will get the support of the governors without necessarily defecting to the APC. They will help to deliver the president in their various states, while the president would, in turn, provide support for them to win their re-election.
“And if you listen to the Akwa Ibom State Governor recently, he made allusion to that fact when he said: “I don’t know how to talk from both sides of the mouth. The other day, I said I was going to support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. People asked, why would you say that? But at night, those same people go behind and tell Baba they would support him. Then, in the afternoon, they’re doing something else. As for me, I’m supporting Baba Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term. When the time comes, I’ll tell you why. The time hasn’t come yet. But, when it does, you’ll understand. Let me keep it for now, no need to lie to ourselves.’ Nothing validates the point I stressed earlier than this statement. For now, only one PDP governor is unlikely to get a soft landing and this is because of his kind of weird personality and local politics of the state,” the source added.
He further added that the decision by the former Rivers State Governor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, to pitch tent with President Tinubu was one of the factors that further solidified the president’s base within the PDP.
“Wike may not be in good terms with Bala Mohammed (Bauchi Governor) for now. Rest assured, they will work together for Tinubu, especially if Atiku eventually picks the party’s ticket. Mohammed said it at a function recently that they won’t work with those who did not support them. Before then, his son came out in the open to say they would not support Atiku because he worked against the father in the last governorship polls by supporting the APC candidate. I am aware that Plateau State Governor is with Wike, ditto for Adamawa and Oyo. I am not sure we will be able to resolve this issue of national secretary. Again, I don’t need to tell you that he (Wike) is behind it. So, head or tail, I don’t see the PDP as a stumbling block to Tinubu’s re-election. I am sure this realisation led to the Gentleman pact both parties entered into. You rub my back, I rub yours kind of arrangement,” the source said. The desire of every president in his first term is to seek a second term, so as to remain in power four eight years. Like every other presidents, President Tinubu too is not hiding his desire to rule Nigeria beyond 2027.
And with the growing defection to his ruling party, especially by the National Assembly members in recent times, he appears to be inching closer to realising his dream.
Historically speaking, apart from 1999, no political party, whether in government or opposition, from 2003 to 2023, had ever, on its own, won the presidential contest without some defections and realignments.
Daily Sun recalls that in the build up to the 2015 presidential election, the then APC gained the number four seat, Speaker of House of Representatives, and some governors from the PDP.
But, in the build up to the 2019 presidential election, the APC lost the number three seat, Senate President, and one or two governors through defections.