Atiku, Wike meet in Abuja as PDP’s peace moves gather pace

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, held a closed-door meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

The meeting which was the first between the pair in nearly two months would go a long way in dousing tension that enveloped the major opposition party since the emergence of the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, Atiku’s running mate in June.

A source told Punch newspaper that the meeting which took place at the Abuja residence of a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Prof. Jerry Gana, was the first in the party’s moves to pacify the governor who was aggrieved that he was bypassed for the running mate slot.

The development divided the party into two blocs with a group backing Wike for the running mate slot demanding the removal of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, over his role in the saga.

The Rivers governor on his part has continued to insist that he was not contacted by the former vice president before he settled for Okowa as his partner in the 2023 election.

The BoT on Wednesday set up a committee to reconcile the duo.

“Atiku and Wike met on Thursday afternoon at the residence of Jerry Gana. It was a good meeting from what I gathered.

“The duo exchanged pleasantries and resolved to move the reconciliation to the next stage,” the source said.