PDP Govs Vs Wike: Who Blinks First?

RIEFINGNOTES

With the resolution of the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party to prevail on the party’s national leadership to hand over the party’s structure in Rivers State to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, all is now set for a battle between the governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who has warned the governors to steer clear of the politics of the state or risk crises in their states.  Alike  Ejiofor writes

In what many political analysts perceived as the highest act of indiscipline and show of disrespect to any political party, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike recently mocked the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), threatening to instigate crises in their states if they interfered in the politics of Rivers State. 

Since Wike lost the PDP presidential and vice-presidential tickets in the 2023 general election to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, respectively, he has remained inconsolable, and has been working against his party.

Wike’s latest outburst followed the resolution of the PDP governors to support his political rival and Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara in the political battle between him and the governor.

The governors had in a communique issued after a recent meeting held in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, restated their support for Fubara, promising to “engage the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party to revisit the congress to correct the anomaly and allow His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara to take his rightful leadership position of the party in the state.”

Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, signed the communique.

But addressing the delegates of his faction of the PDP, who gathered recently to elect new executives at the party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt, the state capital, an angry Wike boasted that nobody can take away the structure he constituted, insisting that he remained the leader of the party in the state.

He said: “And let me tell people – I heard some governors who said they will take away my structure and give it to somebody. I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace, then whatever you see, you take.”

Speaking further in a most disrespectful manner, Wike said: “I don’t understand; simply because l hear they got some money from a signature bonus, and so, their heads are getting big, that you put a hand in my own state. “Prepare, prepare, because I have the capacity to also do the same thing in your own state,” he threatened.

Obviously referring to the governor of Bauchi State, Wike said: “Whether you are from Bauchi, I don’t give a damn. Whichever state you come from, as far as I know, that you are trying to put yourself in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt. And you will never sleep in your own state.

“You will not be governor again. You will see a political crisis as far as PDP is concerned.

“So, I have told them now that you have started; when I will start, don’t say I’m the one that destroyed PDP. You are the one that is trying to destroy the PDP,” Wike said.

Wike’s faction held a congress despite an order of the Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, which had barred the PDP from conducting its congress in the state in a suit number: PHC/2282/CS/2024, filed by Hon David Chinedu Omereji, Prince Solomon Eke, Isodoye Tobin, and others.

Wike’s unguarded utterances showed that the peace efforts initiated by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of PDP, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and other leaders of the party, had failed.

Reacting in a strongly-worded and united response to Wike’s latest utterances, the PDP governors upbraided the FCT minister in a fresh communique issued after a meeting in Jalingo.

In the communique also signed by the Governor of Bauchi State, the governors described Wike’s threat as unbridled, reckless, and unacceptable.

The communique read by Director General of PDP Governors’ Forum, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, also called on the various security agencies to take note of Wike’s threat.

“The statements and threats to peaceful coexistence made by Wike to ‘put fire’ in the PDP- controlled states are unbridled, irresponsible and without ambiguity totally unacceptable, as it undermines efforts to build and maintain peace, cohesion, collaboration and mutual respect amongst leaders and members of the party,” the communique said.

Restating its unwavering support for Fubara, the governors noted that: “The forum has always maintained ‘a touch-one touch-all’ philosophy and individually and collectively stand by and support each other, no matter the circumstances. A tradition Wike tremendously enjoyed in his days of travails as governor.

 “Thus, we therefore maintain that our position on the affairs of the PDP in Rivers State, as unanimously resolved at our 2024, third and fourth meetings held in Enugu and Taraba states, respectively, are not subject to review by any individual no matter how highly placed,” the communique added.

The governors vowed to work with the NWC of the PDP and ensure that Fubara is conferred with all the privileges he is entitled to as a PDP governor.

The forum called on the heads of the national security apparatuses to take note of threats by Wike to stoke violence at the sub-national levels, insisting that no one is above the laws of the land.

Meanwhile, condemnations have continued to trail Wike’s threat to stoke fire in PDP states.

In his reaction, a foremost Ijaw Leader, Chief Edwin Clark has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, to urgently arrest and prosecute the FCT minister.

Clark, in a letter to the IG, read on Thursday during a press briefing at his Asokoro residence, said that Wike’s words showed a flagrant disrespect to the person of President Bola Tinubu, and represented an act of treason, capable of inciting violence in the country.

On its part, a group, the North-east Unity Forum (NUF) also condemned what it called the brazen political banditry displayed by Wike, and called for his sack as FCT minister.

The group said Wike’s recent threat to unleash crises in the states demonstrated his dangerous disposition and orientation, which had no place in a civilised and democratic society.

NUF argued that Wike had lost touch with reality and had become a political outcast in the politics of Rivers State.

Speaking in Abuja, the Convener of NUF, Abubakar Kabir, said: “He, Wike, has become a political liability, embroiled in a crisis of relevance and identity, exposing him as a political scabbard devoid of a bayonet in his home state of Rivers.”

With Wike’s threat to stoke fire in the states if the governors interfered in the politics of Rivers State and the resolution of the governors, who will blink first between the governors and the FCT minister?