PDP leadership crisis: Only God gives power, Atiku tells supporters

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has noted that no human can give power except the Almighty God.

Atiku made this comment amid the ongoing controversy trailing the outcome of the 98th National Executive Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Abuja on Thursday.

The 2023 PDP presidential candidate’s position was contained in a WhatsApp group chat with some of his supporters in the country on Friday.

According to Debo Ologunagba, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, the party, among its intra-party resolutions made on Thursday, had approved the reconstitution of its Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to ensure its stability further.

Among the crucial decisions made at the NEC meeting, the party also appointed Emmanuel Udom, a former Akwa-Ibom State governor, as the head of its Disciplinary Committee. In contrast, former Senate President Bukola Saraki remains the head of its Reconciliation committee.

But the former Vice President told his supporters in the WhatsApp group after the NEC meeting that only God gives power.

The statement follows insinuations by his supporters that he has been betrayed by some elements he trusted within the party.

Atiku, who had missed his six shots at Nigeria’s presidency, said, “There is God. It is God that gives power, not anybody.”

“When the day comes, we shall all be alive to celebrate together as one big family of good faith.

“All our hand work will not go to waste; there is always light at the end of the tunnel. We shall all walk and work together to witness the night. Victory shall be ours. It is well with you, Sir.”

Meanwhile, Taofeek Arapaja, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, has addressed the growing calls for the suspension of ex-Rivers State governor and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, and other members of the defunct G5 governors within the PDP over alleged anti-party activities.

He revealed in an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday in reaction to the resolutions reached at Thursday’s NEC meeting of the party and its North Central Zone leadership meeting held on Wednesday night.

Ahead of the two meetings, some top chieftains of the party, including former PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye, had boasted that every top chieftain of the party alleged anti-party activities would get severe sanctions from the party’s NEC on Thursday.

However, on Thursday, the PDP NEC failed to comment on the alleged anti-party issues and further retained the party’s former Vice Chairman (North), Umar Damagum, as the party’s acting national chairman till its next NEC meeting.

The PDP National Vice Chairman (South-West), reacting in an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, said the party’s NEC can’t suspend both Wike and Ortom because it is not the duty of the NEC to do so.

“I think that is not part of the activities of the NEC. We have different committees, like the reconciliation committee and the disciplinary committee. So we have internal mechanisms to deal with things like that. And then, they have never been accused; they have never been charged, and they haven’t presented themselves for the disciplinary committee or anything. So, I don’t think that is for NEC to do.

“Whoever is alleging them of committing anti-party activities should forward their complaints to the disciplinary committee. That is just it. There are lots of mechanisms and processes that need to take place, and things like that are not the duty of the NEC,” He said.