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).

Attention, however, shifted last month when several party bigwigs loyal to Wike snubbed Atiku and instead pushed for the candidacy of Makinde ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Some party chieftains who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity said they were yet to forgive the former PDP presidential candidate for bungling their biggest chance to return to power in 2023, following his refusal to appease the aggrieved five governors demanding the resignation of the immediate past National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu.

“Every election circle, you will be given a presidential ticket; you will bungle it. Look at the mess that he caused for us at the 2023 election. What was difficult in going to kneel before the aggrieved five governors (G-5) and winning the election for us?

“Now, it is one of those same men you cried about that is giving you a problem. He could have waited till after the election and deceived Wike as (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo did during his time. Atiku was not serious and sincere about winning that presidency,” a source stated.

Makinde openly addressed the growing call for his candidacy, saying he has not decided.

Speaking with reporters during a visit to Fashola farm in Oyo town last month, he stated that speculations about his political future were unnecessary and unsolicited.

The governor stated that he is old enough to speak for himself on any issue without fear or intimidation, adding that he would do so publicly if he had anything to say about his political future.

Again on Saturday, Makinde warned that the 2027 election would be between the ruling APC and Nigerians.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Olusoji Adagunodo Zonal Secretariat of the PDP in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, the governor said nobody could set an agenda for his political career.

Atiku remains PDP’s biggest problem, says PDP deputy youth leader

When contacted, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the party, Timothy Osadolor, told The PUNCH that the crisis rocking the PDP ahead of the 2027 presidential election rested squarely on the table of Atiku.

Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH in Abuja, Osadolor accused Atiku of failing to provide the needed leadership for the PDP despite his wealth of experience garnered over the years.

He said, “People may perceive Nyesom Wike as the problem but the biggest problem of the PDP today is Atiku Abubakar.

“Between Wike and Atiku, the former Vice President is the bigger man and the more experienced politician.

“Naturally, he should provide leadership for Wike and the rest of us in the PDP. But he should ask himself if he is providing that leadership.

“The earlier Atiku realises that one tree does not make a forest, the better it will be for us all. You cannot have your people, and I have my people, and you expect us to win.

“Politics is a game of numbers and marriage of interest. It is not enough to come out every four years and activate a campaign machine that is quite formidable.

“Before every election cycle, some processes position the party in the eyes of Nigerians that we are ready for elections.

“Among the governors of the South, I am sure, we can get such a character in Governor Seyi Makinde but he has not told anyone publicly that he is interested.

“Outside the PDP Governors Forum, if former President Jonathan wants to throw his hat in the ring, he stands a good chance.

“It is not a question of North or South; it is a question of a unifying character that can bring victory for the party.”

Wike should be blamed – Momodu

The head of strategic communications of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation in the 2023 election, Dele Momodu, thinks otherwise.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the journalist cum politician fingered Wike as the troublemaker in the PDP.

He stated, “It (PDP crisis) has nothing to do with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It is about Nyesom Wike sulking perpetually about his loss at the PDP Presidential Primary in 2022.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and his deputy spokesman, Abdullahi Ibrahim, were unsuccessful.

When contacted, Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, declined to comment on the intrigue.

As it stands, the party would be looking for a window of hope to reposition itself at its National Executive Committee meeting slated for this month.

Makinde’s ambition a disservice, says APC

The APC, on Sunday, warned Makinde to focus on governance, saying his obsession with the 2027 presidential ambition would not do his people any good.

The ruling party also warned that his consistent attack on the APC might prove counterproductive for him and his supporters.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said, “While our democracy affords Makinde the liberty to his political aspiration, however, engaging in reckless executive flippancy at the expense of the job he was elected to do as governor is a disservice to the good people of Oyo State.

“If Makinde knew how best to keep APC’s influence at bay, why has he not executed that strategy in ‘protection’ of his party nationally?

“Like the proverbial bad workman who blames his tools, Makinde and his co-confused PDP leaders should quit pointing fingers at the APC and take full responsibility for their disgraceful failure to handle the party’s implosion and decay.”

Morka’s jibe was a response to Saturday’s remarks by Makinde that the 2027 election would be a contest between the ruling APC and Nigerians.

He described Makinde’s utterances as reckless and unbecoming of a leader whose party is gradually going into extinction.

“Makinde’s unhinged 2027 ambition cannot be founded upon his unguarded and unjustified attacks against our great party or the administration of President Bola Tinubu that has launched the boldest and most ambitious reform effort in history to transform our country’s economy and build a solid foundation for progress.

“Governor Makinde has failed to prove himself as an effective leader. His lacklustre performance as governor speaks for itself and undermines his credibility.

“Instead of prioritising the needs of the Oyo people who elected him to tackle their local issues, he has chosen to divert his attention and squander the state’s resources in pursuit of unhinged 2027 ambition.

“Makinde cannot even speak for the people of Oyo regarding their future electoral choices or decisions, let alone speak for Nigerians.

“Makinde and his partisan cohorts are only worried that the looming transformation and prosperity from Tinubu’s economic policies will consign their 2027 ambitions and calculations into the trash bin of political irrelevance,” he stated.

PUNCH