The crisis rocking the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to have deepened and taken a dangerous twist as the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dared the party leadership to suspend him if they so desire and get ready for the consequences.
Wike, who in a sarcastic manner, begged the party not to waste time in suspending him, said that if they do, they should accept whatever consequence follows.
This was made known by Governor Wike while answering questions from select journalists during a media chat on Friday in Port Harcourt, saying that the party’s leadership knows what he is capable of.
What Governor Wike is saying
Speaking during the media chat held at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Wike said, “I beg them today, they should not waste time to suspend me.”
“They should call a National Executive Committee (NEC) – meeting – now and say ‘you are now suspended from the party’. Anything you see, you take. They know what I will do.”
The governor has been in the news recently, criticising his political party on whose platform he was elected governor for two terms over their handling of the fallout of the party’s presidential primaries and the picking of the vice presidential candidate.
In his reaction to a question following the retinue of visitors from other political parties that have visited him in the midst of the crisis in the party and if it does not amount to anti-party activities, the governor described himself as an asset, hence politicians across party lines were visiting him.
Wike said, “I dare them to do it. They know what I can do. A child who says his father will not sleep, will also not sleep.
“If you are an asset people will come to you. Who is a pretty girl that people don’t want to talk to?”
He stated that if the party’s national chairman loves the party and wants it to win the coming elections, he should honour his words and step down for a Southerner to succeed him.
“If Ayu says he loves this party so much and wants it to win elections, he should keep his word and leave. I heard if the PDP wins the election, the national chairman wants to be Secretary of the Government of the Federation. Somebody else wants to be Senate President.
“They have shared positions. They pressured the BoT chairman to resign. Why didn’t they pressure the national chairman to resign?
“The problem is that we have not won elections and we are too arrogant. All they know is name-calling. Wike did this, Wike camp did that. Why not address the issues?
“They are saying we can do without Wike. Some of those supporting Atiku are his enemies. Some of them are from Edo.’’
What you should know
- Governor Wike lost the PDP’s presidential ticket after scoring 237 votes to come behind former Vice President Atiku who polled 371 votes to win the party’s primary conducted in May.
- Weeks after the presidential primary was held, Atiku named Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate despite reportedly earlier promising the ticket to Wike.
- While Governor Wike said he had accepted the outcome of the primary in good faith, he insisted that Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the party’s national chairman for the sake of equity since a northern presidential candidate has emerged.
- His actions, however, are said to have been perceived by some as anti-party activities amid speculations that the PDP leadership might be planning to sanction him.
The statement in your narrative, “over their handling of the fallout of the party’s presidential primaries and the picking of the vice presidential candidate” is misleading. We watched the press chat and it was not about “picking of the Vice presidential candidate. Your reportage should portray the crux of the matter.