By Aloysius Gbakaan
Speculations have emerged that the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu is secretly working against the party’s presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to favour his old time friend and colleague in the Senate Bola Tinubu who is the president flag bearer of All Progressives Congress, APC for the 2023 elections.
Inside sources reveal that Ayu’s poor handling of the PDP crisis which has created a sharp division within the party with the five Governors known at G-5 is deliberate to ensure that the face-off goes beyond a peaceful resolution and Atiku loses the five states controlled by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, that of Benue controlled by Governor Samuel Ortom as well as Abia, Enugu and Oyo states.
Ayu is believed to be a man soiling Atiku’s mind against the five Governors and preventing any chance of dialogue and reconciliation. Ayu has been heard many times telling Atiku that the five Governors do not matter as far as the 2023 election is concerned. He was the one who started the narrative that Governor Ortom is profiling Fulani. He told Atiku that Ortom hates Fulani to the marrow. He called Governors Wike, Ortom, Makinde, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi as “children” intentionally to trigger a deeper crisis within the PDP.
Ayu knows that even if Atiku wins in 2023, he won’t reiman as National Chairman of PDP because it will be a violation of the party’s constitution. He sees better chances with a Tinubu Presidency. He wants to be Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF). Remember that Ayu was a key member of ACN with Tinubu before APC was formed. He has remained a very close friend to the Jagaban. Returning to APC won’t be a big deal to Ayu, should Tinubu win next year. He has already built solid blocks in the Tinubu political empire and will seamlessly go back ‘home’ to enjoy his ‘investment’.
Ayu has nothing to lose if Tinubu defeats Atiku. So as far as he is concerned, his personal interest comes before Atiku’s ambition. He will do everything to frustrate any possibility of reconciliation between his camp and that of the G-5 Governors.
Are you aware that as we speak, Atiku is in deep talks with five APC Governors? This move is also the brainchild of Iyorchia Ayu. He has advised Atiku to jettison the idea of making peace with the Wike camp and instead court the friendship of some APC Governors.
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It is the Machiavellian in Ayu at work again! He wants Atiku to make more mistakes to give Tinubu advantage going into the 2023 elections. He knows that if Atiku makes peace with Wike, Ortom and the others and PDP eventually wins, he will be a loser on both ends.
The Machiavellian may lose on all sides in 2023! You can’t fool all the people all the time.
* Gbakaan writes from Nyanya in Abuja.
