…Says Rivers Gov, Ortom, others are distraction
A political pressure group on the aegis of ‘Deltans Life Matters’, has said that the penchant of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to personalize and acquire the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if not checked would mark the beginning of party dictatorship in the country, stressing that it must be noted that he is not a political deity .
The group said that it is now very clear and with benefit of hindsight that Governor Wike’s uncompromising stance, garrulity and talkativeness would have made him an unsuitable Vice President talk more of being a presidential candidate.
It noted that Wike has through his body language, utterances and actions, demonstrated that he is bigger than the PDP, the Presidential and vice Presidential candidates of the Party, stressing that it is disgusting that Wike, who is relatively younger than Ayu will treat him with brazen disrespect by asking him to step down.
The ‘Deltans Life Matters’ said that since many party stalwarts have tried to persuade Wike to shelve his grievance and work for the party without success, it is time for the PDP to move on and not allow him and others to distract it ahead of 2023.
The Deltans Life Matters urged Wike to take a lesson from his predecessor in office, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, who quietly entered his house after losing the presidential primaries of the APC without insulting his party leaders and those not on the same page with him on a daily basis.
This was as the group castigated Wike over his insistence for the removal of the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu in an election year as one of the conditions for him to let go his grievances after he lost at the presidential primaries to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and was not picked as the vice presidential candidate.
The group in a statement by its Coordinator, Mr Moses Abeh, pointedly said that the time has come for the PDP to take a decisive and bold step to move on and should stop allowing Governor Wike or his cohorts become a distraction in the build up to the 2023 general elections.
According to Abeh; “The PDP 2022 Presidential Primary has come and gone and a winner has emerged. The winner, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has also selected his running mate in the person of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. Yet, one person who has continued to make a mountain out of a mole hill is Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
“In spite of concerted efforts by the party to mend fences with him based on his perceived grievances, he has continued to carry on as though he is a political deity, that must be begged or worshipped. At the top of his demands for reconciliation is that the National chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu must go.
“Wike went after Makarfi’s jugular some few years ago and brought in Prince Uche Secondus as National Chairman and after a while plotted his removal because he perceived him as not doing his bidding enough and now, it Ayu.
“One excuse often given by Wike to lord it over others in the party is that when the party was down, he literally and personally funded it and he should be rewarded for this sacrifice.
“It is also pitiable that the Governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu, who is superintending over a failed state would be junketing round the world with Governor Wike like an ‘Executive House boy’ rather than go to fix the myriad problems facing his state.
“We strongly urge the PDP to move on and disallow anyone from becoming a distraction. The people who are goading him on from agreeing to reconciliation do not have the interest of Nigeria at heart and the PDP should take note of them as moles as they are conniving with other parties to undo the PDP at the 2023 Presidential polls.
“The bottom line is that Atiku Abubakar couldn’t have made a better choice of his running mate. It behooves on the PDP to put all these temporary issues behind and work for the success of the 2023 Presidential election.
“The APC has already made a fatal mistake in his Presidential Muslim-Muslim ticket thus paving way for the PDP to reclaim its Presidential mandate which was taken from her through blackmail and intimidation in 2015.
“As for the other state Governors who are cashing out heavily from Rivers State money through Governor Wike, it is time to tell him the truth if you people truly love him. All the monies he has been spending before, during and after the presidential primaries can go a long way in paying Rivers workers,” it said.
