After the 2022 PDP presidential primaries in Abuja when Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers state lost out gallantly to the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a litany of crises engulfed the Peoples Democratc Party (PDP) from the national level and cascaded to the Rivers state chapter. Our correspondent, GODWIN EGBA, in Port-Harcourt reports
The pillars holding the state governor, Nyesom Wike, Rivers’ Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the party elders and supporters have fast developed a serious crack over perceived doubt of the loyalty and persecution in the house and from the opinion of political analyst, except something decisive is done, this might be the last straw that would break the proverbial Carmel’s back.
The PDP situation is aptly sumnarised by the popular saying, “a house divided against itself will not stand”. This is what is now playing out at the national, state levels of the PDP and the Rivers as well as among party elders, supporters and the Governor, Nyesom Wike himself.
A cross section of analysts said when Wike lost out his presidential ticket at the May primaries to Atiku, he turned into a wounded lion on the loose to tear apart all his perceived enemies who worked against his dream.
His enemies for demolition:
Prior to the PDP primaries, he unseated the former national chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus. After the primaries, he launched his personal arsonal against some South-South PDP faithful’s whom he accused of betraying him in favour of “a money bag and political horse-power” Atiku Abubakar.
His current salvo is targeted at the sitting PDP national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu. Wike is hellbent on Ayu vacating his seat.
At the Rivers home front
Also at the Rivers state homefront, the media is awashed with the Amaechi/Wike ‘resumed fight,’ a fight between the duo who must assert superiority to remain the lord over governorship of the state.
A recent media hype has been on over a growing bitterness among some notable members of the party at the national to state levels and the governor, which is capable of doing more harm than good to the party structure while looking ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The PDP elders right from the reign of the Ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan were known for their formidable one voice and one family that fortified PDP and made it impenetrable by other parties in the state, not even the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the current PDP melee, catanckerous discordant voices and actions have taken a centre stage on the ongoing crisis, each struggling to override the other.
While Senator Jibrin Walid a northerner and Ex Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman threw in the towel for Ex Senate President Adolphous Wabara a southerner, former Deputy National Chairman Chief Bode George another elder is stuck to Wike insisting that Ayu must go.
More so, bitter songs are echoing from some family members of the party in the state over alleged issues of persecution, political witch-hunt and vendetta levelled against the governor and his loyal cabinet soldiers.
Recently, a member of the National Assembly, Honourable Igwe, a Rivers man tendered public apology for supporting the governorship project of Nyesom Wike. Hitherto, the duo were jolly party fellows but fell apart because Igwe seemed to have his loyalty to the current Presidential hopeful, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Also, Wike recently ordered the seal-off of a Rivers State House of Assembly lawmaker’s two filling stations in the state capital over alleged case of illegal oil bunkery business by the lawmaker. A cross-section of public analysts saw this action as a political witchhunt.
Dependable sources within the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital disclosed to Blueprint that the Governor now seems to be on the edge to dine with the party elders with long spoon or relating with them with at arm’s length.
Among other members of the party who believed to be losing their common bond with the governor are the erstwhile great PDP family in the state, and the party elders in particular. On the 22/08/2022, spokesman of concerned PDP Supporters in Rivers state, Dr. John B.Amadi, circulated an open letter to the governor and copied media houses titled “What Did Rivers PDP Elders Do?”
According to him: “It appears there is no more love lost between the governor and the erstwhile great Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) family in the state, even at the National level the PDP elders in particular saying that he had remained unusually taciturn since after the PDP presidential primary election which he fought gallantly but narrowly lost.
It could not be hidden that he was not happy with the outcome of that election, adding that a pointer to that was his address to Rivers people on his arrival from Abuja after the ill-fated primary election.
Amadi said Wike had readily blamed the failure to clinch the coveted presidential ticket on betrayal by certain persons even from the south-south zone but he rarely mentioned names, but pointed out that every other Riversman including the elders of the party in the state was as pained and aggrieved on the outcome of the primary election.
The Spokesman noted that the elders were, however, taken aback by Wike’s recent outburst over the primary election, using every possible opportunity and available forum to berate those he alleged were responsible for the turn-around of events in his quest to contest the presidential election on the platform of the PDP and later to become the vice presidential candidate.
“More shocking is the extreme localisation of the issue whereby Your Excellency seem to have singled out the elders of the party in the state for underserved persecution.
“Your Excellency have accused some of the Elders of the party in the state of ganging up against you simply because they did not scale through the primary to be the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.
“You further alleged that some of them have relocated to Abuja, gossiping you to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and plotting against you. You are yet to disclose what they are plotting against you for since you are serving out and not contesting any election”.
Amadi also said that in a feat of anger, the governor recently made some sweeping changes in some of the party wards across the state, demoting some and elevating some of the ward and Local Government Area leaders, a move many have described as too extreme and authoritarian and seemingly so.
“May be, you drew your conclusion from the visit to the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by some party elders from the state. Prior to that visit, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other PDP chieftains had visited the state to see and confer with Your Excellency severally.
“The PDP elders in the state are also stakeholders of the party in Nigeria. They are well known and respected as senior citizens of this country and have the freedom of movement and association as fundamental right.
“Most importantly, at no time had Your Excellency met with them or instructed them on who to consult or relate with which of course, could be unwise ‘to do so’.
Amadi also stressed that the party members must not lose sight of, or forget so soon the various roles played and still playing by these PDP elders in the stability of the PDP as a ruling party in the state which has all of a sudden become a beehive for the Governor erstwhile political detractors and critics.
He noted: “Today party in the state is a party to join, some trooping in to partake in the largesse and stupendous spending being doled out to woo them while the real stakeholders who staked their lives are out there in the cold languishing in hunger and frustration.
“Your Excellency, with due respect, this to us, is not how to appreciate and reward hard work and undiluted support such that you have received all these years from the persecuted PDP Elders.
“The question that agitates the mind therefore, is what sin did the PDP Elders commit by visiting Alh. Atiku Abubakar whether to broker peace between their angry Governor and the PDP presidential candidate or to express their solidarity as Elders of the party from Rivers State.
“How does this visit amount to, and indeed surpass all the blackmail, name calling, sabotage and defamation of character of Your Excellency by those who now dine and wine with you in the name of decampees with millions of Dollars to compensate for their insults. What an irony of fate?
“Your Excellency, wisdom tells us that we are all called upon, to be leaders and followers, the two concepts being of the same process and not opposites.
“Leaders and followers, and in this case the elders inclusive, must sit around the same table, engage in the same task, asking same question: how, together, can we lift one another?
“The current ostracization of the PDP Elders from their collective property (administration) and partaker in the proceeds for whatever reason is a negation of this natural justice and has the potential to destroy the hard-earned party victory in the state if not now, definitely in no distant time.”
Amadi appealed to Wike to retrace his steps and accord the respect and honour to whom honour is due (the Elders), the better and happier for all, stressing that the party family must not allow the ‘defections of the enemies yesterday and friends today’ into the house built by persecuted elders to delude them into self-destruction for the heart is deceptive.
He concluded: “The election that brought the party to power in the state was collectively won with immeasurable contributions from all, especially the party elders who now appear to be on trial”.