Eighteen governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in next year’s elections have met Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to seek for ways to end the current crisis rocking the party.
The candidates’ chances of winning elections are believed to be threatened should the face off between Wike and the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubaka continue.
It was gathered that the candidates arrived the private home of the Rivers governor in Port Harcourt, the state capital, at 8pm on Tuesday for a closed-door meeting that lasted till about 11pm.
The candidates in attendance include that of Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Benue, Sokoto, Jigawa, Borno and Yobe.
Others are, Kwara, Kano, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers.
After the meeting, the Chairman of the PDP Governorship Candidates Forum and Governorship Candidate of Kaduna State, Isa Ashiru, told journalists that they are hopeful the discussion with Wike, which comes a few days after their meeting with the Presidential Candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, will go a long way in resolving the internal crisis.
He said their next line of action is to meet with the National Working Committee of the party.
Wike and Atiku have been at loggerheads since the emergence of the latter as the party’s presidential candidate in the next year’s general elections.
Part of the conditions given by Governor Wike and his brother governors who are on the same page was to see the current national chairman of the party,Iyorcha Ayu resigns his office and gives way for a Southerner to emerge as the Chairman of the party.