Members of the committee constituted by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to settle the rift between its presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike yesterday evening opened discussion with a view to ensuring reconciliation.
The committee members comprising representatives of Atiku and Wike met at Government House, Port Harcourt.
On the presidential candidate’s camp were Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; Hon. Adamu Waziri and Hon. Eyitayo Jegede.
On Wike’s team were former attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke; former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke; former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko and former Gombe State governor, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting which lasted about four hours, Governor Fintiri stated that talks were still ongoing to achieve the desired objectives.
He said the development was in cognizance of the fact that Nigerians were waiting patiently for the PDP to clinch power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, and redeem the country from the bad governance brought about by the current federal government.
The Adamawa State governor urged Nigerians to be patient and expressed optimism that at the end of the day the committee would broker peace and unify the party and Nigerians.
Fintiri said: “We are aware that Nigerians are anxious and waiting for the PDP to take over government in 2023. We have met as leaders, members of the same political family and we have opened discussion, work is in progress and we will continue.
“At the end of the day, we will broker peace and we will unify the party and Nigerians.”
Also speaking, former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, noted that the agreement by members of the committee to bring about unity in the party would be achieved soon.
Mimiko hinted that the committee would meet again to further deliberate on issues that need to be addressed.
He said: “We have agreed that there is need for us to enhance unity within our party. This is a reconciliation process, there are some issues out there which need further deliberation when the committee meets again.”
It would be recalled that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Governor Wike had agreed to constitute the committee at a meeting they held in Abuja a few weeks ago at the residence of a former minister of information and national orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana, as part of the framework for the resolution of their differences.
