Convention: APC Mocks Saraki, Other PDP Presidential Aspirants for Bowing to Wike’s Threat 

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taunted the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and other presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allegedly bowing to the dictates of the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike on the venue of the PDP’s national convention.

In apparent bid to woo aggrieved opposition elements, APC said those with progressive ideologies should leave the PDP and join its fold where their voices would be heard.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabene, APC said Wike had “assumed the role of de- facto PDP national chairman, sole administrator, spokesman, organising secretary and BoT chairman”.

The ruling party said that it was a misnomer to refer to the PDP as a democratic party, adding that, “there is nothing democratic about its policies and practices”.

“The PDP to all intents and purposes has become the theatre of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.  Since assuming office after the disputed 2015 Rivers governorship election, Wike has assumed the role of de-facto PDP national chairman, sole administration, spokesman, organising secretary and BoT Chairman.

APC accused Wike of once imposing a national chairman on the PDP without a formal convention.

It also talked about a leaked telephone conversation of Governor Wike threatening to kill INEC officials he had paid to rig the rivers rerun election in favour of the PDP.

APC said Wike threatened the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, other PDP presidential aspirants and leaders to ‘teach a bitter lesson’ if they ‘dared’ to oppose his decision to host the PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

“It is an open secret that Governor Wike’s insistence on Port Harcourt is to manipulate and influence his choice of presidential candidate from the crowd of PDP presidential aspirants, virtually all of whom stole the nation’s commonwealth in the recent past.

“It is surprising that the PDP with its supposed seasoned politicians will sit by and allow Governor Wike use the PDP as his personal property, to determine who gets what, when and how, and where party conventions must be held. What happened to internal party democracy? Of course, this is an alien concept to the PDP,” said APC.

APC said it has ensured that its processes were inclusive and participatory. The party also said that the direct primary election method of electing party candidates introduced by Adams Oshiomhole-led APC national leadership is a demonstration of its drive to ensure that internal party democracy is adhered to. “This is a departure from the cash and carry system institutionalised by the PDP.

“PDP members who genuinely believe in our progressive ideologies are encouraged to leave the sinking PDP and join the APC where their voices will be heard and decisions taken collectively. They should leave the Wike Autocratic Party (WAP) for the Rivers State Governor and his minions, bent on foisting their unpopular and undemocratic will on the majority,” it said.