Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that it is hypocritical for some people in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to criticise the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while supporting the Northern region of the country to retain the presidency for another eight years.
Wike insisted that nobody can convince him to change his stance that the PDP should yield its national chairman position to Southern Nigeria.
The governor said this when he hosted Cross River State PDP governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly candidates and PDP local government party chairmen, at his private residence in Rumueprikom on Wednesday night.
He maintained that for the sake of peace, the PDP should adhere to the tenets of its constitution, which explicitly recommends that when a presidential candidate emerges from the north, the national chairman should come from the South.
According to him, the clamour for the chairmanship position of the party to be zoned to the South will persist until justice, fairness and equity prevail in the PDP.
“This is period that power game is being played. If you don’t have it now, forget it. If anybody tells you, let (Iyorchia) Ayu resign after election is conducted, then you are a foolish person. This is the time decision is being made. This is the time the presidential candidate, national chairman and the leader of campaign will sit, when election is won in February, before the president is sworn in, decisions would have been made,” he stated.
The governor noted that his effort for amicable resolution of the crisis rocking the party has been frustrated by rent seeker in the party.
He explained that the seeming intractable crisis in the party had lingered because some vested interests, whom he described as “hyenas and rent seekers,” have remained obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in the party.
“We have finished presidential primaries, we have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying remove presidential candidate? Is Wike saying remove vice presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for? All I am saying, and I will continue to say is that you have taken president, give us (national) chairman.
“Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the presidential candidate, if I am saying remove the vice presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this,” he noted.
Wike maintained that he cannot be convinced to support the current status quo, where the PDP presidential candidate, national chairman and the Director General of the presidential campaign council are all from the north.
According to him, refusal to cede the national chairman position to the South, will be a recipe for crisis.
“He (national chairman) said, if the presidential candidate comes from the north, he will resign , which means he has had this in mind. Now, the thing has come to reality, now resign, no. And people are saying go and talk to Wike.
“I’ve accepted the presidential candidate, I have accepted the vice presidential candidate, what’s the problem again. You, fulfil your part. Let the South have something, that is all I’m preaching. You cannot have presidential candidate, national chairman, director general of the campaign.”
The governor further disclosed that he has commenced full politicking ahead of the 2023 general elections, adding that those who want to undermine him and his allies will be doing so at their own peril.
He thanked Cross River PDP delegates for the support given to him during the presidential primary, noting that he will remain eternally grateful to them and all the other delegates that voted for him.
Wike said: “If there is nothing I achieved, I can go home and sleep that I won Cross River State. Not only did I win, I won very well. I feel so happy and that tells you of people who have character of steadfastness. People who will never be pushed around for whatever it is. People who believe in the principles of life, people who believe in fairness, justice and equity.”
Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation, Cross River PDP governorship candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, said governor Wike remains a trail blazer for justice, fairness and equity.
He stressed that no living person in the contemporary history of the PDP has made more sacrifice for the party than Wike while commending him for his steadfast support.
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