The two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP met on Wednesday night to decide how to fashion out a way out of the crisis that had engulfed the party since last year.
Daily Trust gathered that top on the agenda of the meeting is how to share leadership positions at the planned Saturday National convention, whether the convention should go ahead and whether the party will present a Presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the next election.
The PDP has been divided into two factions with the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki faction loyal to the PDP Governors and the Abdulrahman Muhammed faction loyal to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The development followed the National Convention of the party in Ibadan in November last year supported by the governors which produced Turaki as National Chairman and other members of the National Working Committee.
Not satisfied by the convention which PDP members loyal to Wike refused attend, the Wike-led faction on their part put together a 13-member National Caretaker Working Committee in December, with Mohammed as National Chairman to supretend over the party for 60 days until a convention can be held.
The situation led to a plethora of litigations with the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja hearing the consolidated suits earlier this month and nullified the convention.
Efforts by party leaders to resolve the impasse has not been successful until yesterday, when the warring factions met.
A high ranking member of the party from the Turaki faction told our correspondent that, “the issues to be discussed includes how the leadership should shared by both parties. If the National Convention should go ahead and whether the party will still be able Present a Presidential candidate.”
Part of the crisis has been centered on the issue of the Presidential candidate for the 2027 election, since Wike and his group had already declared for President Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Recently, President Tinubu appointed former Governor of Abia State Okezie Ikpeazu (who is the Chairman of the Convention committee of the Wike group) as Ambassador to Spain.
Wike faction gives conditions for reconciliation
Before now, the Wike group had given conditions for the reconciliation to succeed.
Daily Trust had reported that the two factions have already set up a seven man committee to fashion out their own position which is expected to be discussed and harmonize when the two parties meet after the Sallah Festivities.
But, the National Publicity Secretary of the Wike faction Jungudo Haruna Mohammed had said the reconciliation is an ongoing process, but added that it cannot prevent the caretaker committee from carrying out its functions or stop the National convention.