PDP Govs Beg Wike Not To Dump Party – TheNigerialawyer

Some governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday
waded into the crisis rocking their party arising from the face-off
between the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike and some power blocs
over the minority leadership in the House of Representatives.

Six PDP governors who stormed Port Harcourt, the Rivers State
capital met with Wike over the insinuation that he is planning to
abandon the party because his preferred candidate for the minority
leader position, Hon Kingsley Chinda, did not emerge.

The governors that visited Wike include, Adamawa State Governor,
Umaru Fintiri; Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha; Oyo State
Governor, Seyi Makinde; Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom; Sokoto
State Governor, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal; and Zamfara State
Governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.

Wike had lambasted a committee set up by the PDP Board of
Trustees (BoT) to investigate the controversy arising from the
emergence of Hon. Ndudi Elumelu as the minority leader of the House
of Representatives who assumed the position against PDP’s
directive.

Speaking at a function in Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike
described the committee led by former Senate President, Sen Iyorcha
Ayu as the most corrupt in the history of the party.

The PDP NWC had nominated the lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor
Federal Constituency, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, as it choice for the
position of Minority Leader in the House of Representatives.

Also, Wike had congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his
victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal against
PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, a move which sparked
insinuations that he was moving towards dumping the PDP. The recent
visit of the Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi to Rivers State
further fueled insinuations of Wike’s intending exit.

But in an attempt to appease Wike, the six PDP governors, led by
Tambuwal, met with him behind closed doors for over an hour.

A source close to Government House, Port Harcourt, revealed that
the governors, who came on a peace mission, prevailed on Wike not
to leave the PDP in light of his recent outbursts and seemingly
hobnobbing with some leaders of the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC).

Another source in Abuja, confided in LEADERSHIP^[1] not
TheNigerialawyer Sunday that governors had to intervene because the
matter was getting out of hand.

A member of the PDP BoT who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said the action of the “governors was commendable because the party
cannot afford to be plunged into a major crisis at this time.”

Efforts by LEADERSHIP Sunday to speak with Wike’s spokesman,
Simeon Nwakaudu, proved abortive as he neither picked his calls,
nor returned them.

However, speaking with newsmen after the closed door meeting,
Sokoto State Governor, Tambuwal, explained that the six PDP
governors visited their counterpart to commend him on his sustained
delivery on projects in the state.

Tambuwal said they came to encourage Wike to continue to deliver
quality projects and sustain good governance for the development of
Rivers State.

The Sokoto State governor also declared that PDP remains
strongly united in friendship and brotherhood.

He said: “We are here as brothers and friends to the Rivers
State Governor, Nyesom Wike in the spirit of brotherhood and
friendship. To encourage and support him for the good governance he
has given to the good people of Rivers State.

“The 100 days of the second term of Governor Wike is also why we
are here. The spirit in Port Harcourt and Rivers State is that of
celebration and thanksgiving and gratitude to God for such a
wonderful leadership by Governor Wike.

“We are also here to join him and the good people of Rivers
State in thanking God for his leadership and to thank God for
giving the state a wonderful leader like him. The Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP ) is very strongly united”.

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