Deltans Life Matters, a political pressure group, chastised Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, on Monday for demanding the removal of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as one of the conditions for him to drop his grievances after losing the presidential primaries to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement issued by its Global Coordinator, Mr Moses Abeh, the organisation urged the party to move on and not let Wike or anybody else be a distraction in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.
“The PDP 2022 Presidential Primary has come and gone, and a winner has emerged,” Abeh remarked. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the winner, has also chosen Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate. Nyesom Wike, the current Governor of Rivers State, is one person who has continued to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
“Despite the party’s concerted efforts to mend fences with him based on his perceived grievances, he has continued to act as if he is a political deity who must be begged or worshipped.” The National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, is at the top of his list of demands for reconciliation.
“We recall that some years ago he brought in Uche Secondus as National Chairman and after a while plotted his removal because he perceived him as not doing his bidding enough.
“Wike again went after Markafi’s jugular and now Ayu. This Wike’s penchant to personalize the party is indeed the beginning of party dictatorship if not checked now.
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“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 the party 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 should be junketting round the world with Governor Wike like an ‘Executive House boy’ rather than go and fix the myriad problems facing his state.
“Wike has by his body language, utterances and actions demonstrated that he is bigger than the party and even bigger than the Presidential and vice Presidential candidates of the Party. It is disgusting that Wike who is relatively younger than Ayu will treat the National Chairman with brazen disrespect by asking him to step down saying that the ‘Children brought him to power’.
“We strongly urge the PDP to move on and disallow anyone from becoming a distraction. Many PDP stalwarts have tried by talking to Governor Wike to shelve his grievance and work for the success of the party but he has not said anything substantially different.
“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 now as they could connive with other parties to undo the PDP at the 2023 Presidential polls.
“With benefit of hindsight Nigerians will agree that Nyesom Wike’s uncompromising stance, his garrulity and his talkativeness would have made him an unsuitable Vice President.
“In contrast, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa is level headed, brilliant, taciturn and politically very savvy. All the people including Governor Samuel Ortom who did not support Dr Okowa initially for the position of Vice Presidential candidate are now beginning to see Dr Okowa’s good traits.
“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 it’s 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.
“We call on Governor Nyesom Wike to tow the honourable path of RT Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who entered his house quietly after losing the presidential primaries of his party than insulting his party leaders and those not on the same page with him publicly on a daily basis.
