Reconciliation With Dickson: Count Me Out! – Wike

• Warns PDP to stay clear
• Demands sanctions for betrayal

BY UBON EKANEM – The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership to stay clear of the rift between him and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Governor Seriake Dickson.

According to Governor Wike, the only reasonable action by the PDP now is shoving Dickson out of the main opposition party as his deserved punishment for betraying trust and the party’s collective interest.

A tough-talking Wike insisted that the outgoing Bayelsa State Chief Executive must be disciplined for promoting personal interest above the party to serve as a deterrent to others that may want to tow such ignoble path in future.

In what many admit as an obvious rejection of PDP’s intervention in the crisis to reconcile him with Governor Dickson, the Rivers Chief Executive said such moves are needless since a court of competent jurisdiction has already ruled on the matter.

Speaking in a media interview on the Soku Oil Wells/fields recently returned to Rivers State by the Federal High Court, Wike said the intervention is absolutely unnecessary, because; “They have no power to resolve the issue of Oil Wells. Secondly, the matter has been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Anybody who is not satisfied should go on Appeal. Are they interceding on behalf of someone who betrayed the party?”

In advancing his call for sanctions against the outgoing Bayelsa first citizen, Wike claimed; “They know that Governor Dickson betrayed and sold out the party. They know that during the 2019 election in Rivers State, what happened in the state that Dickson worked with my opponent.

“Throughout that period, the National Chairman himself knows that people were calling from all over the country to know the situation. Dickson never called one day. This was because of his alignment with the opposition. I can show proof that Dickson had already made up his mind to go over to APC.

“I am not going to sit down with anybody to discuss anything as it relates to Governor Dickson. I have no business with Governor Dickson.”

Further demonstrating his opposition to the planned reconciliation, Governor Wike said the right thing now is for Dickson to resign from the PDP, so that the true leaders in Bayelsa State can rebuild the party.

An embittered Wike said; “In fact, Governor Dickson ought to have resigned from the party by now. So that the leaders of PDP in Bayelsa would rebuild the party. The National Leadership of the party should know that the only option left for PDP to be strong in Bayelsa is for Dickson to leave the party,” he said.

Insisting that PDP hierarchy’s intervention would certainly be unprofitable given the incalculable damage done by Governor Dickson to the party in Bayelsa, Wike retorted; “Where was the party when Dickson sold out? Why couldn’t they come out to speak out? Governor Dickson, you have killed our party in that State. What is anyone wading in for? I am not going to be party to that and nobody will stop me.”

Boasting that “Nobody fights Rivers State and gets any benefits out of it”, Governor Wike said; “I am not here because of my interest. I am here because of the interest of Rivers State.”

With no kind words for the PDP Leadership, Governor Wike insisted that “The party would have waded in when they saw fraud. That Dickson was killing the party in Bayelsa State. He has achieved his aim by making sure nobody comes after him as he leaves office in February 2020.”

“Now, they are talking of wading in. Do you know the effect of APC winning Bayelsa State?”, Governor Wike asked rhetorically