Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has exposed how Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike influenced the zoning committee headed by his friend and ally, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom to open the party’s presidential primary contest thinking he could muscle everyone to win.
Presidential campaign spokesman, Mr Charles Aniagwu speaking on “Prime Time” on Arise Television, Aniagwu accused the duo of masterminding the opening of the party’s presidential contest as against popular wish of micro zoning it to the South-East.
According to Aniagwu who is also commissioner for information in Delta State, it was not Atiku who made it open for people to just go and contest but Ortom, his friend, who was the chairman of PDP’s zoning committee just before the primary election was conducted.
While saying in their quest for peace they have allowed the danger of the single story to persist, revealing that when the party set up a Zoning Committee it was headed by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue and a member of the G-5 Governors.
Aniagwu said the ongoing crisis in the party was caused by Wike’s inordinate ambition to be president while his anger at Atiku Abubakar is misplaced.
“The committee threw the ticket open for the best to emerge and Atiku Abubakar was considered the most qualified to lead Nigeria’s rescue and rebuilding mission. Atiku Abubakar was interested in micro zoning to the South East but it was the same Nyesom Wike that frustrated it because he wanted to contest.
“It was not Atiku that made the zoning open to people to just go and contest. In this case, there was a contest between the South and the North, and Atiku was considered by members of the party as the man capable of leading Nigerians out of the woods.
“I think often times we undermine the value of our prayers as Nigerians. From the actions of Wike, you will know that the prayers of Nigerians are working. If in just Rivers, you are subjecting everybody to the kind of torture we are seeing which we never saw under military rule, imagine if he is in charge of the military,” he said.
On calls for disciplinary measures against the ‘rebel’ governors, Aniagwu said the party was taking its time to ensure that all avenues for peace and compromise were explored and that the party would continue to appeal to the G-5 governors to return home and join hands in the rescue mission project.
“I know many people are wondering why the party is keeping quiet and neglecting the actions of Gov. Wike and others. This is because the party wants to exhaust all avenues of ensuring that these individuals realise that the party have been able to bring them up to speed.
“Without the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); these individuals that are creating this crisis, where will they be? So, when individuals begin to progress along this line and think that the rest of us don’t matter, you begin to wonder what their calculation is in any case.
“We do hope that the G-5 Governors return home but while we await their return we will continue to engage Nigerians because that is where the power resides.
“Our presidential candidate is very busy interfacing with Nigerians and we will continue to plead with Wike and accord him the respect he deserves as a governor and a great leader in our party.
“The very disturbing economic and security situation in the country is enough for any leader to sheathe his sword and help in taking decisions that can help the country to navigate through the very murky waters.
“That a man suffered defeat in a party primary that was very creditably organised, is one thing to which we don’t understand the extent to which he is taking this fight,” Aniagwu stated.
On Atiku’s meetings with Nigerians, Aniagwu said Atiku would not meet with people to undermine the party and its candidates across the country.
“Atiku meeting with people not to undermine the party and hence we have been campaigning 5/5 from Presidency to the House of Assembly.
“He has made it very clear that he would form a government of national unity, so we will not meet with people with a view to undermine our candidates at any level,” Aniagwu said.
