The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has mockingly extended an offer to assist the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in resolving the ongoing leadership and internal conflicts that threaten to destabilize the party, stating that the PDP urgently needs support.
In response, the opposition party reacted sharply, accusing the ruling APC of contributing to the current crisis afflicting its leadership.
This exchange comes amid growing concerns that the political ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde could deepen the party’s crisis and disrupt the reconciliation efforts led by the Olagunsoye Oyinlola committee.
For over a year, the PDP has been fragmented, with factions aligned with Atiku and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Recently, Governor Mohammed, who also chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, signaled his intention to run for president in 2027.
Wike and Atiku have been seen as central figures in the party’s decline since its defeat in the 2023 election. The situation worsened when Mohammed joined the dissenting voices advocating for the removal of PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
However, Mohammed expressed a willingness to withdraw from the presidential race if former President Goodluck Jonathan rejoined the party and ran for office. He revealed this two months ago at an event in Abuja organized by the non-governmental organization Save Africa Initiative.
According to Mohammed, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has left many Nigerians dissatisfied, and Jonathan, with his extensive experience, would be well-positioned to restore the economy and lead effectively.
Despite this, Jonathan’s camp remained silent, leading to speculation that he may not be interested in the proposal.
Meanwhile, supporters of Wike have increasingly rallied behind Makinde as a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Makinde, however, has publicly stated that he has not yet made a decision regarding his candidacy. He emphasized that he is capable of speaking for himself and would address his political future openly if necessary.
Reacting to the developments, APC National Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim told The PUNCH that the ruling party was concerned about the PDP’s internal crisis and was willing to assist if formally approached.
He said: “We are looking at it (PDP crisis) from the outside and laughing at them. We look forward to a time when they will solicit our help on how to solve their problem. This should tell Nigerians that this is the kind of leadership they wanted to bequeath to the nation.
“Anybody who cannot handle his family issue should not seek to be entrusted with the problems of the nation. The PDP has now shown everybody that it is a poor manager of crisis. They are the ones that put Nigeria in this present crisis simply because of their short-sightedness and lack of internal democracy.
“Now, they are showing their true colour. It is unfortunate. But if they regain their consciousness and want to be guarded as to how to play party politics, the APC has established the Progressive Institute, where people can enrol and be tutored on how to play politics under democracy.
“We will give them all the help they need with a proviso once they make a formal request that they are overwhelmed by problems and don’t know the solutions.”
In response, the PDP expressed indignation at Bala’s comments, describing them as insulting.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, accused the APC of sowing discord within the PDP.
He said: “We have no time for them. Of course, we know they are laughing at us because of the few elements they are using to cause disharmony in our camp. To be honest, we deserve to be laughed at. You can’t blame them.
“After all, some people have decided to give us out cheaply as they are doing. But whether they have anything to come and teach us is another thing entirely.”
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