Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Monday said he will crush his enemies rather than leave them for God. God Wike spoke in Aba, Abia State as he commissioned some projects completed by Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu in the state.
BASIC FACTS
- Governor Wike have been having a running battle with members of the PDP loyal to Atiku Abubakar.
- Governor Wike on Monday while referring to his rivals as “small boys”, said he will crush them.
- He made this comment in Abia State while commissioning a project by his host, the Abia State governor.
WHAT WE KNOW
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is still talking tough in the face of the crisis tearing the Peoples Democratic Party party.
The Rivers State governor on Monday, said he won’t leave his political rivals for God to deal with them but he will flog and crush those he described as “the small boys”.
“God has given me what it takes to crush these people, for me to crush my enemies,” Wike said in Aba in Abia State when he commissioned the Osisioma Interchange and the Dualised Aba-Owerri Road.
Wike, who was hosted by his Abia counterpart, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, also said he understands relationship, adding that nobody can break his ranks with his PDP brother governors and allies like Ikpeazu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Governor Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
Wike and his allies majorly governors of the PDP in the South have been together and have shown solidarity even while on vacation abroad. They have taking the same position on the party and have insisted on the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Wike speaking at Aba, said Ayu should respect agreement and resign or Nigerians will know who is relevant or not at the appropriate time.
NOTABLE QUOTES
At the commissioning ceremony, Wike had said, “No relationship can be bought with money. When I read some newspapers, they say some people are making attempts to break ranks. I said do you understand the modus operandi of what we are doing? If they understand the modus operandi, they will not waste their time.
“If you like, go and meet Ikpeazu, if you like go and meet Seyi, if you like go and meet Ortom, if you like go and meet Ugwuanyi. You don’t even understand what we are doing…you are making mistakes,”
“I was in the plane with him (Ikpeazu) and we were discussing. He said why will not leave these people for God? But I told him why are you overcrowding God? God has given me what it takes to crush these people, for me to crush my enemies.
“Now that I know I have the capacity to flog these small boys, you want me to leave it for God? I won’t do that. I am going to flog them pepperly. When we start campaign, we will know who is who,”
COMMENTARY
Recall that the Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been engaged in a war of words with PDP National leaders, especially the National Chairman Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
Wike is spearheading the call for Ayu’s resignation, asking him to respect agreement and resign or Nigerians will know who is relevant or not at the appropriate time.
Ayu in his response, described Wike and his brother governors in the South as “children”. Not to be outdone, Governor Wike had fired back that the “children” brought the former senator from the gutters and made his PDP national chairman.
Aside from Wike and his allies, PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Walid Jibrin, also 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.
TAKEAWAY
More than anything else, PDP internal crisis will determine her fortune in the 2023 General elections, especially at the centre.
Perhaps the time is ripe for the parties in Nigeria to learn internal peace building mechanism.
Clariform notes that internal party squabbles is not restricted to PDP alone but also found in APC, APGA etc.
Perhaps this explains why these parties have found it difficult to manage Nigerians diversity, since they can’t even manage diversity within their ranks.
