Former president Goodluck Jonathan has rebuffed the attempt by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to help resolve the crisis in the main opposition party.
Atiku, in company with Ifeanyi Okowa, his running mate, had visited Jonathan at his Abuja home on the night of November 17 on a “peace mission” following his lukewarm attitude to the PDP crisis and the presidential campaign in general.
According to TheCable, at the meeting on Thursday night, Atiku told Jonathan he was worried the former president had not been participating in the affairs of the PDP as the presidential election draws near.
He implored Jonathan to intervene in the face-off with PDP governors sympathetic to Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers state, who has refused to back Atiku’s presidential bid, over the refusal of Iyorchia Ayu to resign as national chairman in accordance with the promise made by Atiku himself.
Atiku and Ayu are from the northern part of the country and the understanding is that the president and the national chairman of the party should not come from the same region.
According to the publication, Jonathan believes the party, particularly Atiku, has not shown him any respect.
“Dr. Jonathan has never been invited to the meeting of the Board of Trustees,” one of the sources told the publication.
“The party has never accorded him the respect of involving him in its activities. Now that presidential election is close by, Dr. Jonathan has suddenly become important.”
Jonathan reportedly reminded Atiku that he supported him fully in his presidential bid in 2019 but the candidate stopped picking his calls after getting the ticket.
“More so, those nominated by Dr. Jonathan into the 2019 presidential campaign council were not appointed. Not a single nominee of his was picked,” the source added.
Atiku reportedly said he was not aware of Jonathan’s complaints and that he would raise them with the party leadership.
The PDP flagbearer was also reminded of the role he played in getting the PDP ousted from power by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
Atiku had teamed up with five PDP governors to storm out of the PDP national convention in November 2013.
They later joined three opposition parties to found APC.
The governors were Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).
“Atiku is facing a similar rebellion now and he now wants the same Dr. Jonathan who was a victim of his own machination to help him resolve the crisis,” the source.
Jonathan had met with Atiku at the Dorchester Hotel, London, in 2014 to solicit his help in ending the PDP crisis but, ironically, Atiku reportedly said the only condition for peace was for Jonathan to withdraw from the presidential race.
“The opinion of Dr. Jonathan’s associates is that he should rather support Obi, who has always treated him with respect, than Atiku. President Muhammadu Buhari has treated Dr. Jonathan with more respect than Atiku, despite going after his wife and his former ministers,” the source said.
Atiku rejected Jonathan’s pleas in 2015, refused to support him – Wike
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Tuesday revealed that Atiku declined the request of the then President Goodluck Jonathan to support his re-election bid in 2015.
Wike stated this when Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State commissioned the Akpabu-Itu-Umudiogha road in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers.
According to him, Jonathan travelled to the Dorchester Hotel in London in 2015 to meet Atiku but rather, the former VP “embarrassed” Jonathan and told him to relinquish his ticket to him.
Wike, who contested the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won by Atiku in May, said he is not asking Atiku to step down as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections but should ensure the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as PDP national chairman for a southern replacement.
“We forget history. In 2015 when Jonathan as a sitting President, I am not talking as a presidential candidate but as a sitting President, when he had won his primary, Jonathan went to London to Dorchester Hotel, he went to plead with Atiku Abubakar to come back to the party and support him, Wike said.
“You know the condition he (Atiku) gave Jonathan? He should relinquish his ticket not to run as the President of Nigeria. That was the presidential candidate of a ruling party. He gave him a condition, telling him to relinquish that ticket.
“Today, we are not saying the presidential candidate should relinquish his ticket; we are not being selfish, we are saying since you are now the presidential candidate, let our people take chairmanship.”
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