Nwoko to PDP: Expel Wike Now, He Has Done Enough Damage

Chuks Okocha and Alex Enumah in Abuja

A former House of Representatives member, Hon Ned Nwoko, has called on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to immediately expel Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, over alleged anti-party activities and efforts to destroy the main opposition party.

Nwoko noted that there was no point keeping the former presidential aspirant in the party as he had done enough damage and could no longer do more.

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY, the Delta State politician and senatorial candidate for Delta North, noted that he had no personal issue against Wike but as a critical stakeholder in the PDP and in Nigeria, he could not stand aside and watch Wike destroy the party.

“Wike is trying to destroy a house we all built. Yes, he was not nominated as presidential candidate of the PDP, he also lost out in his quest to be the vice presidential candidate and we all participated in the whole process. It was very transparent; he spent so much money. I know that, he outspent virtually everybody else. He did; he out-spent Atiku but the battle was fought and won or lost as the case may be.

“But that is not a reason to pull down his own party. He has taken his vendetta too far. His current fight is selfish; it is of personal interest. It does not matter how he tries to colour it or whatever he calls it. The only question I always ask is, what if Wike has been chosen by Atiku and he is campaigning with Atiku as Atiku is doing now, will he in the same bend be asking the national chairman to resign or go? Of course, he will just be campaigning with Atiku and others, that alone tells you that his fight is self-centered,” Nwoko said.

Nwoko further accused the Rivers governor of engaging in anti-party activities that baffled everybody with wasteful spending of state’s resources in his bid to pull down the PDP and jeopardize the party’s chances in the forthcoming general election.

His words: “But you know who I blame in all these, I really blame Ortom (Benue State Governor), the party had put together a committee for zoning and Ortom as the chairman, I know some members of that committee personally and the whole feelings then was that the party will zone the presidency to the south.

“I personally spoke to Okowa about his ambition, I also spoke to Atiku at some point and you know Atiku said if the party zones the presidency to the to the south, he will not contest and Okowa said if it is zoned to the south he will contest but if it is not zoned to the south, he would not want to contest. And it was thrown open as Ortom committee did.

“If Ortom had wanted a southern president, why didn’t he impress upon his committee members to zone to the south as the APC did. But whatever it is, the deed has been done, and as a party man, we expect Wike and the rest of them to fall in line and support the party until the party wins the next election. But what they have been doing is to try tear down the fabric upon which the party was built.

“I am a stakeholder in PDP. Before I returned to Nigeria in 1998, I was a member of the party, I am a stakeholder and if somebody wishes to destroy the country as we know it today, any Nigerian who sees himself as a Nigerian has an obligation to stop that destruction if there is a way he can prevent it or discourage it, so every Nigerian is a stakeholder in this body called Nigeria, you don’t need to be a president, governor or minister to be considered a minister, that is very demeaning to the ordinary Nigerian.

“Every Nigerian is a stakeholder and has every right to stop the destruction of this country. He should be expelled. He has done enough damage, there is nothing more Wike can do; he has been trying to use all manner of tactics to intimidate, just to grandstand, all he need to do now is to wait for election and direct his people to vote for another party.

But let me tell you, with or without Wike, Atiku is the next president, because this is a general election, we are not talking about party primaries, where he can control the structures, we are talking of a general election, so what is he going to do?

“In his desperation he has appointed about 500,000 assistants, so assuming that all the 500,000 vote for him, vote according to his instruction, so what? Is he going to make sure the other 3 millions vote for him? Is he going to intimidate them as he is trying to intimidate everybody who is opposed to his ways?

“There are so many people in Rivers State who are supportive of Atiku and these are Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Rivers State people and there are so many big political players in Rivers, who are also anti-Wike, they have made it clear that they will not go his way.

“So, what he is doing can only hurt some of his candidates, particularly, those he is sponsoring from governorship to National Assembly and they might not do as well as they ought to, because of Wike’s personal issues, it is Wike against Wike,” he added.

On the allegation that Atiku promised Wike the vice president slot, Nwoko said he could not attest to that, having not been there when the said promise was made but, “know of a fact that Wike vowed not to be vice to anybody,” he said, adding that Wike was just a desperate person for power.

“Very desperate as if outside politics he has no life; as if without politics, he will not survive. I thought he said he is a lawyer, so if he is a lawyer, then, let him go and practice. I have not been in politics since 2003 and doing well.

“Do you imagine Okowa behaving like Wike, if Atiku had chosen Wike as VP? Okowa will just continue to support the party, that is how you know who a gentleman,” he explained.

On the issue of the Paris Club Refunds, which states are contesting the legality, Nwoko presented documented evidence to support his engagement by various states as well as the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

While alluding the current court cases to the greed of some governors, Nwoko observed that the matter would have long ended or not even have started if he had compromised on his principle.