The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, cannot be tamed by the party.
The Deputy Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said Wike speaks the way he likes without minding the consequences.
Abdullahi stated that the former Rivers State governor’s threat that he would ‘set on fire‘ the state of PDP governors supporting Governor Siminalaya Fubara, was directed at the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed.
He disclosed that Bala Mohammed was assigned to resolve issues arising from primary elections held in Rivers State in electing the state’s PDP executives.
In an interview with Arise TV on Monday night, Abdullahi said the leadership of PDP does not support Wike’s threat.
“That’s an entitled opinion of Wike and for those of us who have watched him within the last 10 years since becoming the governor of River State, Wike is giving to doing things his own way which is assertiveness, speaking the way he feels like without minding the consequences. That was a reckless statement I must start with. We did not support it in any way.
“We are not behind him for saying all of that. We don’t know what a putting fire in a state for a governor and I don’t think there’s a governor of the PDP that would allow him to come to his state and put fire, whatever that means.
“Whatever he was saying was born out of the disappointment that the governor of Bauchi State is making some effort to intervene in the outcome of the primaries of his state; but you will expect the chairman of the PDP governor’s forum in his capacity to intervene in the outcome of the crisis brewing in River State which for a long time people have been taking PDP over,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that the PDP may not meet the expectations of many Nigerians in taking decisive action against Wike. He noted that the FCT Minister holds a strategic place in the party.
“Everyone expected us to have solved this problem before the stage. Why is it taking so long? Well, it’s trying to balance the interest. At no point did Wike come out to tell you that he’s not a PDP member and to that extent we are not going to cast aspersion on him or the sledgehammer to terminate his political life by saying he’s not one of us. He’s been a very integral part of our journey.
“He has played a very vital role as governor, outstanding performance. He’s one of the best we have had over his period of overseeing the affairs of River State and you could see even coming here in FCT, just one year, he surpassed what others have done eight years.
“So these are some of the things. We consider him as a prominent member of the PDP and an asset. So don’t expect us to just engage with him, but we need him to be very careful. We have cautioned him over all of these things but you cannot tame Wike. That’s the situation. It’s unfortunate,” he stated.
The PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary further emphasized that no member of the PDP is beyond discipline. He clarified that Wike along with others was invited to the discipline committee not because of his threat to governors of the party, but because of 2023 election issues.
“No member of the PDP will be stronger than the PDP. PDP has a way of resolving its problem. I’ve always argued that this is a political party that has survived the test of time. It’s the elephant in the house 25 years down the drain. Other political parties that were formed about the same time in 1998 have all fizzled out in the thin air or metamorphosed into other platforms including a ruling party to produce power.
“But PDP remained the same with texture color and objectives. So PDP is going to have its internal mechanism of resolving the problem one of which is a constitution of two committees only a fortnight ago one to look into the problems of reconciliation and the other discipline which Wike will be facing in the fullness of time.
“Not only him all of the persons that petitions were received against across the 36 states of the federation their action or inaction which amounted to anti-party or sabotaging the People’s Democratic Party in the build up to 2023 election and even in the aftermath expected to you know honor the invitation.
“The invitations are ongoing and then by the time the committee seats are listed to them and justify that all the allegations were substantiated or are substantiated enough then the action will be taken in line with the recommendation of the committee which will come to the NWC and action will follow accordingly,” Abdullahi added.
