Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, slammed the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, for showing “ingratitude” and “arrogance” after he was assisted to get the seat of the national chairman of the party.
BASIC FACTS
- Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Thursday came down hard on the PDP National Chairman.
- Wike spoke in response to the chairman`s comment on Wednesday referring to him as a child.
- Wike, Atiku and Ayu has been at the centre of confusion in the PDP crisis.
WHAT WE KNOW
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, slammed the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, for showing “ingratitude” and “arrogance” after he was assisted to get the seat of the national chairmanship of the party.
Wike responding to a comment made Dr. Iyorcha Ayu on Wednesday, reminded the PDP chairman that those he now referred to as “children” helped him to the position of PDP chairmanship.
“These children you said we are, brought you from nothing,” the governor said during the commissioning of Omerelu Internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Wike who spoke at the commissioning of Omerelu internal roads in Ikwerre LGA of Rivers State, challenged Ayu to show himself as a man of honour and integrity by fulfilling his promise that he would vacate the chairmanship seat if the northern region produces the presidential candidate of the party.
Wilke further wondered why Dr. Iyorcha Ayu is dividing the party rather than focusing on winning elections for the party.
Wike also said the N14bn PDP realised from the sale of forms of primaries last May must be judiciously used.
NOTABLE QUOTES
At the commissioning of Omerelu internal roads, Wike made the following statement:
“These children you said we are, brought you from nothing,”
“Somebody said those of you who said the right thing must be done are boys, they are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how ingratitude, how people can be ingrates.”
“I thought as a chairman of a party who wants to win the election, your business is to bring peace to the party; your business is not to divide your party, your business is not to show arrogance.”
“Dr Ayu said we are children. Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party, the children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman.”
“Ayu, you were impeached as Senate President, Ayu you were sacked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo in his administration two times. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere.”
COMMENTARY
Clariform recalls this is the latest in the raging verbal war between Wike and the PDP leadership, especially those aligned to the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
This comment is also the latest in his call for Dr. Iyorcha Ayu to quit the party’s chairmanship after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (from Adamawa State) emerged as the presidential candidate of the PDP in May.
Ayu, who hails from Benue State in northern Nigeria, had last October said he would vacate the chairmanship seat but on Wednesday said he won’t resign.
Recall also that Dr. Iyorcha Ayu was the senate president in the still birthed 3rd republic and not the fourth republic as stated by Wike. During the still birthed 3rd republic, Dr. Ayu was a member of the then SDP.
Earlier, the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Walid Jibrin, a northerner from Nasarawa State agreed that it is unfair for the party to have its presidential candidate and national chairman from the same region.
The first time the PDP lost the presidential election in 2015, the party lost largely to internal contradiction within the party membership.
Recall that some members of the party, especially those from the North, including the present presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar had worked against the party in an attempt to spite President Jonathan a southern.
Off course there were other factors that aided the APC then. This time, it is obvious the PDP learnt little from that era. It seems the same internal contradiction within the party will partner with other parties to rob PDP of a victory it thinks it deserves in 2023.
Clariform News desk will continue to monitor this and the events unfolding towards the 2023 General elections.
