The crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be heading towards a political truce as a faction within the party has expressed readiness to reconcile with the camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while insisting the party must present a presidential candidate in the next general election.
The development comes amid deepening divisions within the party over its future political direction and the possibility of supporting President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Factional National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ini Ememobong, disclosed this during an appearance on Arise News’ Morning Show, where he said the party’s leadership was open to negotiations aimed at restoring unity within the opposition platform.
Ememobong, however, maintained that any reconciliation must not compromise the party’s role as a viable opposition capable of contesting power at all levels.
According to him, while the party is willing to engage the Wike-led bloc in dialogue, the PDP would not abandon its constitutional responsibility to field candidates in future elections, including the presidential race.
“The truth is that both hope and delusion are human emotions, and at the end of the day, it is the result that determines which was hope and which was delusion,” he said.
The PDP has been grappling with internal wrangling following the emergence of parallel power blocs within the party one aligned with Wike and another loyal to former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, who leads a faction pushing for the party to rebuild as a strong opposition.
While the Wike camp has reportedly signalled support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid, sources within the party said the group may demand that the Turaki-led faction endorse the President as part of conditions for reconciliation.
But Ememobong dismissed suggestions that the PDP leadership was considering backing Tinubu, stressing that the party remained committed to presenting credible candidates in future elections.
He said party leaders were consulting widely with stakeholders and delegates in an effort to resolve the crisis and reposition the PDP.
“When parties come to the table, you come with your reducible minimums. If there must be peace, one of the terms we will take to the negotiation table is that the party will field candidates at all levels,” he said.
He added that the PDP would also present “a viable candidate” for the presidency, noting that reconciliation efforts would be pursued with an open mind but without undermining the party’s opposition status.
“We are going to the negotiation table with an open mind for reconciliation, but that reconciliation must keep us as an opposition party,” he added.
The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant political party, has been struggling to regain political cohesion since losing the presidency in 2015, with recurring internal disputes threatening its chances in future elections.
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