Politics

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party, National Executive Council, former Kogi State Governor, Capt Idris Wada, and the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi have cautioned the party against rushing to dismiss the former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike for alleged anti-party. Wike ditched the PDP 2023 Presidential candidate, former vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and worked for the emergence of the incumbent, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress. The immediate past Rivers State Governor is serving as the Minister of Federal Capital Territory in the current APC administration. These among many other reasons are why some members of the party, especially those loyal to Atiku are calling for his removal. Wada and Ibrahim in separate interviews, in Abuja on Friday, warned that dismissing Wike like an ordinary member portends danger for the party. The former Kogi State governor described Wike as a founding member of the PDP that can not be wish-away. Responding to a question on whether the party’s failure to sanction Wike for alleged anti-party activities portend danger for it, Wada stated “No it doesn’t. In life, things are never the way they seem or people perceive them to be. Gov Wike has been a foundation member of the PDP since its inception. You cannot just wish him away just like that”. Ibrahim cautioned the idea of dismissing Wike as a very delicate one that would come with consequences for the party. The Deputy publicity scribe described the two-term ex-Rivers state governor as a critical stakeholder that the PDP cannot afford to jettison. He stated “The idea of dismissing Governor Wike is a very delicate one for the party. And this is understandable because of the implications that that kind of decision portends for the party. Number one Governor Wike is a very important member of the party who has not relinquished or denounced his membership of the party. “And therefore, we are having the burden of exhausting all righteousness to ensure that we’ll be dismissing him justifiably. Governor Wike has at least five other former governors behind him, including the serving governor of Oyo state, Engr. Seyi Makinde. And these are important members of this party. “Therefore, he is a critical stakeholder that we cannot afford to jettison. Secondly, he has his state, Rivers State under his firm grip and that is another PDP state. Therefore, it will come with great consequences, if you send him away just that way, you have to weigh the options and the implications of that kind of decision. “Thirdly, he is still telling you that he is a dedicated member of the party, the PDP, this, again, adds to the burden of the party in taking any decision against him. So in order not to rock the boat to ensure we are safe, and we are taking the decision in the interests of the party collectively, we will not be haphazard, and we will not be in a hurry. We will not be in haste to take that kind of decision. “So we are weighing the options. But certainly at the fullness of time when the party feels that the loyalty of Governor Wike has been put into question we will then take the appropriate decision. But, I for one, and indeed the majority of party leaders are of the view, that it is a very delicate decision and should be handled with caution. So we don’t rock the boat.”