Proposed meeting between Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and leaders of the party in the Southwest has pitted Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde against a former deputy governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi.

They are at war over who will coordinate the scheduled parley. The duo have chosen two different venues for the same meeting.

Gbolarumi, an aggrieved party leader in the state, has been in charge of preparations for the meeting because Makinde pitched tent with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike over the lopsided leadership in the opposition party.

The latter and his supporters have been having a running battle with Atiku in the last few months. They have insisted on the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as the National Chairman to resign to pave the way to a Southerner.

They hinged their insistence on the fact the Atiku, like Ayu, is from the North.

Following the confirmation of the meeting, the governor has insisted on taking charge of the arrangement being the leader of the party in Southwest.

But Gbolarumi stood his grounds, saying he will be in charge. The different venues arranged for the meeting have created logistic problems.

The crisis raged until Monday evening when other leaders wade in to prevail on Gbolarumi.

Read Also; PDP crisis: Wike hits Ayu again as Makinde slams Atiku

A source privy to the crisis said the meeting went into early Tuesday morning before Gbolarumi conceded to the governor. The meeting will now hold at an event centre at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

The source explained that Makinde had to take over the role because he is also a candidate in next year’s election.

“Being the leader of PDP in Southwest, he has to support the presidential candidate of his party in holding such an important meeting. Remember that he is also a candidate in the election. So we are not surprised at the sudden turnaround.” the source told this newspaper.

The zonal leadership in the Southwest has urged Nigerians not to interpret the position of Wike and his supporters as a crisis that can consume the PDP.

The leadership said the governors were not planning to leave the party but only agitating for equity and fairness. Besides, it added that they have no grouse about Atiku beyond their agitation for a better representation of the South in PDP leadership.

The party, in a statement by its zonal spokesman Chief Sanya Atofarati, lauded Atiku for making Southwest his first port of call, pointing out that it was a right step in the right direction.

His words: “The choice of Ibadan as the first port of call by the candidate is a clear signal that the PDP is one united and indivisible family which is committed to delivering the zone for the party’s candidate in the February presidential election.

“The visit could not have come at a better time than now in view of the ongoing reconciliation and fence mending moves by top hierachies of the party at different levels to address various interests and agitations within the party which were blown out of proportion by the ruling APC.

“As a truly democratic institution the PDP welcomes all shades of opinions and interests which sometimes might be misconstrued by the general public as crisis, but the inherent internal mechanism for conflict resolution of our party has set the PDP apart from our main challenger and the outcome of the recent reconciliatory moves has begun to bear fruits.

“I must also commend Governor Seyi Makinde for his exemplary leadership in the zone as he is billed to recieve the visiting former vice president on Wednesday and put in place logistics for the success of the event.

“Governor Makinde has once again demonstrated capacity to distinguish between self-interest and party supremacy because the PDP umbrella is our defining symbol which must be guided jealously going forward.

“I have always held the opinion that the PDP cannot afford to fail Nigerians…”