By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
It is not the best of times for Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as he has suffered yet another blow with the refusal of Dr. Sam Amadi, former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to accept his appointment to serve in the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) citing conflict of interest.
Amadi, a Harvard-trained Lawyer, renowned Academic and versatile Public Affairs Commentator, declined to accept the appointment as the Director of Research of the PDP PCC which was announced last week by the party and which has seen heavyweight political exposed persons refusing to serve in the Council.
This is even as one of the PDP presidential aspirants during the party’s primary election and Governor of Rivers state, Chief Nyesom Wike and four other Governors of Benue, Enugu, Abia and Oyo states have refused to serve in the PCC in protest of sundry issues.
PDP which is already witnessing persistent conflict in its quest to return to power in 2023 has not known peace since the presidential primaries of May 29, 2022, which produced the former Vice President as the candidate for next year’s presidential election.
The refusal of Amadi to be in the PCC of the PDD on professional grounds is the latest setback to hit the Atiku campaign train and has presented the opponents especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) the opportunity to criticise the PDP and its candidate.
In the latest development, Amadi, conveyed his decision not to join the campaign in a letter he wrote to Sokoto state Governor Aminu Tambuwal who is the Director General of the PDP-CC, dated Monday, October 10, in which he cited his membership of some critical bodies that enjoined him to be politically non-aligned in other to give make effective contribution to them and provide leadership in others.
Infact, the PDP leadership led by Senator Iyorchia Ayu have been at loggerheads with the Governor of Rivers State, principally over its current leadership structure which the outspoken PDP chieftain argued that it tilted towards the Northern region of Nigeria.
Wike, leading four other governors and some influential members of the party, including former National Deputy Chairman (South), Bode George, is insisting that Iyiorchia Ayu, the PDP National Chairman should resign for a candidate from the South for the party to have a balanced leadership structure in line with the provision that stipulates that where a President comes from the North, the party Chairman, must come from the South or vice versa.
But the genesis of what has now snowballed into a bigger discontent, is believed to be the outcome of the primaries, in which Wike was not only beaten to a position by Atiku, but denied the chance of being the running mate, after a committee made up of party leaders, had allegedly selected him for that purpose, only for the former VP to choose Ifeanyi Okowa, the current Governor of Delta State.
Matters had gotten to a head, when the Wike camp pulled out from the campaign, insisting on the removal of Ayu as the irreducible minimum for peace, a decision, which reflected in their continued absence, first on September 28 during the inauguration of the campaign council and on Monday, during the flag-off of the campaign proper.
