PDP reconciliation, chairmanship: Why Saraki, Wike met in Abuja

The social media went abuzz last Tuesday when former President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki visited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike at his Abuja residence.

Recall that in a viral video on social media, Wike entertained Saraki in his Abuja residence.

The FCT Minister was seen in the kitchen showing his skills to welcome the former Senate President.

While it is being speculated that the visit is connected with the chairmanship tussle of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Vanguard was informed that it was part of ongoing moves to reconcile aggrieved PDP leaders and members.

The visit, however, elicited mixed reactions online as some social media users slammed Wike for cooking for Saraki after he did the same for Femi Gbajabiamila when he also visited recently.

Recall that both Saraki and Wike contested the PDP presidential primary, but lost to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

While the former Senate President was appointed into the PDP/Atiku’s campaign team, Wike and his G5 governors, worked against the interest of Atiku and the party in the 2023 presidential election.

The former Rivers State governor, who worked for President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was appointed FCT Minister.

Wike has declared that he remained a member of the PDP only working with President Tinubu to transform Nigeria.

Tussle for PDP chairmanship

However, a source privy to the meeting, told Vanguard that while the “Wike group has defined that they will not leave the party, they must work to retain their influence in the party.”

There were also insinuations that last week’s meeting was connected with Saraki’s ambition to become the National Chairman of the party.

A source, privy to the meeting explained that following Wike’s group intention to remain in the PDP, “one of the ways to do so is to be part of the power groups that will determine the future of the party by influencing who leads the party from next year. Saraki is moving fast and getting more passengers, the Wike group needs to quickly jump on it and be part of the forces that will propel the train to a successful destination.”

Another source warned that failure by the Wike group to join the reconciliation team may lead to the emergence of “a hostile chairman who may move against them.”

On the reconciliation move by the former Senate President, the source said: “They know Saraki as a reconciliator, a bridge builder, somebody they can trust to be neutral and has the capacity and resources to rebuild the party.”

The meeting with Wike, the source said “is the first step the Wike group is making. More governors and senators in the group will openly canvass support for Saraki and even visit. Many have silently visited him.”

Dismissing insinuations about Saraki’s chairmanship ambition, the source said: “As for Saraki, he has not made up his mind on the chairmanship.”

“His position is that we should wait till after the Supreme Court verdict on the Atiku case. Either way the case goes, the next assignment for PDP is resolving leadership issues and reconciliation”, the source added.

However, when contacted for reaction, Saraki’s media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the visit as a “friendly visit.”