A coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of Better Life for Nigeria has accused Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike of slowing down the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to his brashness in handling political matters.
The coalition in a statement signed by its coordinator Waheed Abduljeleel said Wike has failed to show sportsmanship as his actions after the presidential primaries suggest that he is an embittered loser.
The group, however, observed that Wike’s activities are capable of derailing the PDP’s quest for presidency in 2023.
According to the statement, Wike and his co-travellers will destroy the legacy of the party’s founding fathers.
“ PDP as a party was founded and funded in 1998 by great politicians like Alex Ekeueme, Abubakar Rimi, Sunday Awoniyi, Solomon Lar, Atiku Abubakar, Iorchia Ayu, etc.
“ The idea was to have a national party where decisions will be taken by all members, and not a party in the pocket of a single individual.
“Ayu said in his interview with Arise TV that he will resign if the party ask him to resign (not an individual). The NWC which is the highest decision body of the party passed a vote of confidence on Ayu and asked him to stay.
“This situation that has a presidential candidate and Chairman of the party from one zone pre-election is not new.”
Central was Chairman when Musa Yar’Adua from North West was the presidential candidate of PDP between 2006-2007.
“What if Ayu resigns and Atiku fails to win, will he be given back his mandate to complete the constitutional four years?
“In any case, the PDP State Excos in Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross-River, and Delta have thrown their support to Ayu and passed a vote of confidence on him.
“The presidential zoning committee was about zoning the presidential ticket to South East with Peter Obi likely to get the ticket, Wike insisted that the zoning should be thrown open, knowing that GEJ got the South-South slot.
“Atiku had said that if the presidential ticket is zoned to the South East, he won’t contest. Wike’s ambition did not allow this zoning to work, instead, he used Chris Uba to chase Peter Obi out of PDP.
“ Every member of the PDP sacrificed for the party at one point or the other. Some even died in the process. Others used their personal resources to fund the party.
“Atiku and Ayu didn’t just leave the PDP in 2006. They fought against the third-term agenda of OBJ and they were chased out of the party through the use of state coercion paraphernalia.
“Wike is overhyped. He only has money gotten from Rivers treasury that he throws around. Unlike Tinubu who was able to install his successor and extend his ‘empire’ to the whole of South West, Wike is yet to install his successor and he has no control of South-South.
“Wike is not on talking terms with Governors of Edo state, Obaseki, Delta State, Okowa, Bayelsa, Diri, Akwa Ibom, Udom, and his brashness and hard hardiness chased the Governor of Cross-River, Ebonyi, and Peter Obi out of the party.
“Wike and his group will not leave the party because he has stooges contesting for Governor of Rivers state and NA election, Fayose, and Jerry Gana’s sons are contesting for a seat at the NA. You can’t have your candidate contesting on the same day with Atiku in PDP and work against PDP when you have a strong opposition party like APC.
Wike is determined to rock the boat because Atiku is a Muslim pointing to the fact he is a religious bigot and this is not good for our democracy.
“Wike wants to foist a Chairman on the PDP that will work against Atiku so that Atiku will lose the 2023 election and leave the PDP for him and his group post-2023. They need a party Chairman that will do their bidding like what Adamu Mu’azu did to GEJ in 2015.
“Wike is not fighting for the South, he is a bitter loser fighting to destroy the PDP because he did not get the ticket of the party. His frustration after losing the presidential primary has made him confused, as throwing tantrums and dancing like a clown is now his trademark.
“Wike has taken delight in insulting everybody, from Sule Lamido to Babangida Aliyu, to Sen. Ayu. He was instrumental in the removal of Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif, and Uche Secondus because they refused to be answerable to him alone.
“Wike has fallen out with all his allies in the state, from Uche Secondus to Austin Opara, to Celestine Omehia, to Farah Dagogo, to Sen. Lee Maeba, etc who are working for Atiku.
“As Chairman of the party, after primaries, you can hug any aspirant to energize them for the fight ahead. They are all your children. As Ayu hailed Tambuwal as Hero, he would have also hailed Wike as the Defender of Democracy if Wike was also in that room.
“Wike and his group did not support Senator Adeleke in the Osun gubernatorial election but he won against Tinubu’s nephew.
“Apart from Governor Makinde who is holding a prominent position in the Atiku campaign council, the rest of the so-called Wike group are either not members or floor members.
“Gov. Makinde is on self-destruct, he is contesting for a second term in Oyo, a traditional APC state and he is joining Wike to play politics that will affect his chances of winning. He has forgotten what OBJ did to AD governors in the South West in 2003.
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