Makinde
There are palpable fears that the individual ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and his counterpart in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, may further snowball the Peoples Democratic Party crisis and scuttle the ongoing reconciliation by the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led committee.
In the past few months, the camp of the party has been divided into factions loyal to Atiku and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, until Mohammed, who is also the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, indicated an interest in running for the Presidency in 2027.
Both men are seen as the reason the stock of the party hit an all-time low since losing the election in 2023.
To make the move become a reality, Mohammed joined forces with growing voices of chieftains who wanted the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, kicked out of the party.
The ambitious Bauchi State governor, however, volunteered to step down from the race and give his blessing only if former President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to return to the party to contest.
He disclosed this two months ago at an event organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Save Africa Initiative, in Abuja.
According to him, Nigerians were not happy with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He, however, believed Jonathan had the requisite experience to revamp the economy and would do a good job if given a second chance to manage the country.
The camp of the former president was, however, silent on fuelling speculations that he might not be interested in the proposition.
Plot to remove Damagum failed
Two weeks ago, Mohammed made a U-turn and openly acknowledged the leadership of the PDP acting national chairman, shortly before the planned meeting of the National Executive Council was aborted.
The chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum welcomed Damagum’s leadership at a stakeholders’ meeting convened to ease tensions among warring party leaders in the National Working Committee.
Only five of the 13 governors were in attendance at the meeting.
They were Governors Bala Mohammed; Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers) and Caleb Muftwang (Plateau). Punch
