A coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of Better Life for Nigeria, has berated Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for slowing down the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) due to his brashness in handling matters.
The coalition in a statement by its coordinator, Waheed Abduljeleel on Sunday, said the Rivers Governor is not a good sportsman as his actions after the presidential primaries connote him as an embittered loser, who is determined to rock the boat because Atiku is a Muslim, a move he said was not good for the nation’s democracy.
Chronicling Wike’s activities capable of derailing the PDP’s quest for presidency in 2023, the coalition stated; “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. Ahmadu Ali from North 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…
“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”.
