Throwing his weight behind Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the fight to get Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, to step down, former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, has said Wike was fighting for justice.
According to him, Wike was fighting against injustice, for equity, for fairness, and is a pillar, mobiliser, financier and actualiser.
Following Ayu’s resolve not to step down, Wike had taken a swipe at him, accusing Ayu of ingratitude after he (Wike) and allies helped return him as chairman.
Governor Wike, however, insisted that nothing will save Ayu from being ousted.
Senator Ayu had dismissed calls for his removal from office, wondering where those championing such calls were when he and other Nigerians formed the party.
Speaking in an interview with the Hausa Service of BBC monitored in Abuja, the PDP chairman, had in a veiled reference to Governor Wike, declared that party leaders had worked so hard to a point where they would not allow an individual to destroy all they laboured to build
Speaking during the inauguration of internal roads constructed by the Rivers State Government at Omerelu, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Wike berated Ayu over his comments.
His words: “You were sleeping in your house, calling me per second, saying my brother, my brother. Today, all those who brought you as chairman are all boys. Nigerians have seen how ungrateful some of you can be.
“That is why Nigerians are also careful, thinking if you give these people power, how grateful will they be to Nigerians? I’ve kept quiet thinking we will reconcile. Now that you have become arrogant to say you were elected, where did you campaign?
“Where were your campaign posters? Even when we gave you money to print posters, you pocketed it.
“Hire all the media moguls, hire all social media top people, and write all you can write, it will not save you. Carry all the television houses working for you; it will not bother me at all. I do what my conscience tells me to do and what is right for our people.
“Ayu said we are children. Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party. The children brought you from the gutter and made you chairman. Ayu, you were impeached as Senate president. Ayu, you were sacked by Olusegun Obasanjo in his administration two times.
“Arrogance cannot take you anywhere. Now, that we have seen that you don’t want the party to win elections, we’ll help you. When you should instead come out to say ‘I’m sorry, for the sake of us’, he is telling us we are children.
“A man, who is inconsistent and ran away from the party, telling those of us who spent our time and had sleepless nights to make sure this party does not go down. Now, he has the audacity to say we are children.
“We will tell him you’re a prodigal father. A man that was impeached, sacked and ran away from the party is now coming to say, I’m a founding member of the party. Then you ran away.”
Also backing Wike on the ‘Ayu must go slogan’, George, who was a special guest at the inauguration of internal roads constructed by the Rivers State Government, attacked Ayu, accusing him of ingratitude.
The PDP leader, however, noted that nothing will save Ayu from being removed.
He said: “The issue of the PDP chairman must be addressed before the commencement of campaigns for the 2023 elections.
“It is an antithesis and against the norms and culture of our party that our presidential candidate, our national chairman and the chairman of the Board of Trustees will come from one section of the country.
“Party members from the South are already feeling alienated; the PDP is not a private company. So, before we start the presidential campaign at the end of this month, the National Chairman must go to the South.
“That is what Governor Wike is saying and as a life member of the Board of Trustees of our party, I support this position 100 per cent.
“Statutorily, it is the National Chairman, who hands over the party’s flag to our presidential candidate. How will party members from the South feel when they see that, at all political rallies, Southerners have no public political representation?
“But we can only go back to Aso Rock if we are united and not divided. Some people are abusing Governor Wike that he is a troubleshooter (sic). Those abusing him, as an elder and as a father in this party, must stop immediately.
“Governor Wike is only fighting against injustice, for equity, for fairness in our party. He is not only a strong pillar in this party but a mobiliser, a financier and an actualizer.
“Since he joined the PDP, he has not left this party. I am also a founding father of the party and since 1998, I have not left this party.”
With the worsening crisis in the party, a former member of the National Working Committee, NWC, warned that the PDP risks losing bulk votes from the South-West geo-political zone if its leaders fail to do the needful.
The source, who spoke with Vanguard in confidence, said: “From what is going on, the PDP risks losing bulk votes from the South-West.
“That is what will happen. Seyi Makinde, who is the only governor in the South-West, for now, is with Wike and he has the clout in the South-West.
“Senator Demola Adeleke, who is the governor-elect of Osun State, does not have a relationship with any of the camps for now and he does not have the power of control for now.
“Atiku and Ayu are leaving the South-West for Tinubu and Obi to take charge. The only way Atiku can make headway is in Oyo State but Seyi Makinde is not on Atiku’s side.
“Who is there for them in Ogun, Ekiti, Lagos or Ondo states? Ayo Fayose is on Wike’s side. In Osun State, when the chips are down, Ademola Adeleke does not have political control over PDP members in the state.
“Therefore, the PDP risks losing the South-West because for now, it is only Wike’s voice they’re hearing, there are many who believe in Wike’s cause, but are not talking now, are more in number. Wike is saying the minds of many.”
Also speaking on the crisis, a former Minister of Transportation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope faulted those calling for Ayu’s resignation.
Babatope, a PDP leader, however, expressed optimism that leaders and elders will intervene in the crisis.
He said: “I am sure that the elders of the party will move and ensure they salvage the situation.
“I am sure they are going to intervene and ensure there is peace in the party. I am sure that eventually, we are going to see peace because the crisis is very embarrassing.
“If I am to express my personal opinion, I don’t think asking the leadership of the party to resign now, will solve the situation. Escapism is never the way out of any problem, it worsens the problem and complicates the problem.
“Wike and others are leaders of the party and I don’t see any one of them losing and that is why we need to bring every one of them on board to ensure there is a victory for the party.
If we don’t have peace, then, we are going to do ourselves a lot of harm.”
But despite its internal upheavals, the PDP has insisted that it remains solid and united in its quest to rescue Nigeria from the maladministration of the APC in 2023.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, who spoke at a media briefing, in Abuja, noted that while it may be true that members may disagree on methods, the fact remains that they are united on the mission to rescue Nigeria.
Ologunagba said: “Issues are part of the family. We are a Political party, and we have members with different views, what Nigerians expect us as a party to do is to solve problems.
“We have differences, we don’t have crises. We have a disagreement of choice. No crisis in PDP, we have differences, which is in human nature.
“This party respects every member of the party. The party even (Governor) Wike agreed that Nigeria is the issue. This party is PDP and not one man party. The organs of the party are working very well.”
Although he declined to address threats contained in Wike’s recent comments, he said, “We do not have a crisis, we have differences like every organic organization. We may not agree on methods but the destination is the same, we want to rescue Nigeria.
“All the leaders have agreed and we are on the same mission. This party is on the ground and solid. The party will win the 2023 election. Win majority of the Senate and House of Representatives.
“APC brought us this calamity. We have never been divided like this before. This party brought insecurity.”
He said members of the APC were dumping the party and joining the PDP in droves. The PDP spokesperson said: “We are in closer conversations with some leaders in APC to move to PDP because PDP is where the road is. APC is on life support and is dying by instalment.
Speaking on the party’s campaign council formation, he said, the list of council members was almost ready and will be forwarded to the National Executive Council for ratification soon.
He said: “We must be conscious of every interest so that we don’t miss it. We are going to carry everybody along.”
Vanguard gathered that having resolved to move ahead with plans and programmes ahead of the elections, party leaders are moving to hold the long-awaited NEC meeting next week.
A party source familiar with the matter said, “The NEC meeting is likely to hold next week to ratify the campaign council list of members. By the middle of this month, you will see most of our activities in top gear.”
Meanwhile, the PDP tackled the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima for attempting to distance themselves from the abysmal performance of the Buhari administration.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, said: “In a desperate design to whitewash their battered public image, identifying with the obvious successes of the PDP and in an attempt to posture as statesmen, the APC Presidential Candidate, his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima and other APC leaders shamelessly orchestrated a photo opportunity with the distinguished and successful former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“This is a patriotic Nigerian leader whose PDP-led purposeful and successful government the APC leaders viciously harassed, constantly insulted, labelled, sabotaged and discredited for their selfish power-grabbing enterprise.
“Nigerians have not forgotten how Asiwaju Tinubu callously vilified and pilloried Dr Jonathan, spewed hate against his administration and reportedly funded a near riotous protest which was inflamed by concocted economic lies, propaganda and false statistics to discredit the Jonathan-led PDP administration.
“Nigerians can equally recall how Sen. Shettima as governor of Borno State sabotaged and frustrated Jonathan’s administration in its effort to curb insecurity in Borno State.
“Records still have it on how the APC Vice Presidential candidate as governor of Borno State failed to act on a security report and directive to close schools in remote parts of Borno State and relocate students to the more secure capital of Maiduguri to write their GCE examinations; thus creating the opening for the cruel abduction of school girls in Chibok, Borno State.
“Nigerians will also note how then Governor Shettima abdicated his duty as a chief security officer and reportedly withheld vital security information in preference to non-state actors including terrorist elements, thereby frustrating the timely rescue of the abducted Chibok girls.”
The PDP further said: “It can also be recalled that after the infamous abduction, the principal of the school was subsequently appointed a commissioner in Borno State by the then Governor Shettima; a development many considered as compensation for her alleged role in the abduction.
“It is, therefore, ironic that these same APC leaders, who also spent the last seven years insulting and harassing Dr Jonathan, now shamelessly arranged a visit and photo opportunity in an attempt to launder their image and hoodwink Nigerians from the atrocities and monumental evil they brought to our country.
“It is indeed provocative that after turning our nation into a vast killing field by emboldening terrorist elements to massacre our citizens; wrecking our once robust economy, elevating corruption to an official state policy and turning our nation into the poverty capital of the world, APC leaders are seeking to beguile Nigerians again.
“We are aware that these APC leaders have lined up several illusory antics to mislead Nigerians ahead of the 2023 general elections, but they must know that Nigerians have moved on and cannot be swayed by propaganda, lies, false promises and photo ops with successful individuals.
“What is expected of APC leaders at this moment is to apologize unreservedly to Dr Jonathan, the PDP and Nigerians for the life-discounting situation they have foisted on our nation in the last seven years.
“After that, they should quietly quit the stage, take valedictory pictures with terrorists, political thugs and election riggers since they cannot have any space among well-meaning Nigerians.”
Vanguard.