According to Independent, a prominent member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is optimistic about the party’s relaunch, now that the legal disputes related to the February 25th presidential election have been concluded with the Supreme Court’s judgment, and the PDP’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is no longer in the running.
Before the presidential election, the PDP was plagued by internal strife, particularly when Atiku emerged as the party’s presidential candidate. Calls for the resignation of the then-national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, were unheeded, exacerbating the party’s divisions. A significant faction within the party, known as the “G5,” led by then-Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, further deepened the party’s internal discord.
Ultimately, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the election, with 8,794,726 votes, defeating Atiku Abubakar, who secured 6,984,520 votes and came in second. Atiku and the PDP pursued legal avenues, but both the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) and the Supreme Court upheld Tinubu’s victory.
The chieftain, speaking to Daily Independent, opined that Atiku’s handling of zoning and the failure to pressure Ayu to resign as the party’s candidate were key factors contributing to the party’s loss in the election.
Now, the party’s leadership is contemplating the party’s future. Approximately three months ago, Segun Sowunmi and some of Atiku’s spokespeople expressed their interest in vying for the national chairmanship position within the PDP. Sowunmi even claimed he could defeat Bukola Saraki in any election. If a southerner ascends to the position of national chairman in the party, it may imply that the presidency would once again shift to the north.