The governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike said accepted the party’s presidential candidate and running mate, Messrs Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa and not its national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
Wike made the declaration in Port Harcourt Wednesday night when he hosted Cross River PDP candidates running for governorship, senatorial, house of representatives, and state house of assembly seats in the 2023 elections.
Wike said he remained resolute in his demand for the resignation of Ayu.
Wike told his guests who was led by the Cross River PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Sandy Onor with the south-south national vice chairman of the PDP, Mr. Dan Orbih in attendance, that the “hyenas and rent seekers,” are the problems of the party.
He said genuine effort to resolve the crisis in the PDP was being frustrated by rent-seekers.
“We’ve finished presidential primaries. We have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying remove the presidential candidate? Is Wike saying remove the vice presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for?
“All I am saying and will continue to say is you have taken president, give us national chairman. Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the presidential candidate, remove vice presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this,” he said.
Wike maintained that he could not be convinced to support the current status quo, where the PDP presidential candidate, national chairman and the director general of the presidential campaign council are all from the north.
He reiterated that the refusal to cede the national chairmanship position to the south is a recipe for crisis.
“He (national chairman) said, if the presidential candidate comes from the north, he will resign which means he has had this in mind. Now, the thing has come to reality, now resign, no. And people are saying go and talk to Wike.
“I’ve accepted the presidential candidate, I have accepted the vice presidential candidate, what’s the problem again. You, fulfill your part. Let the south have something; that is all I’m preaching. You cannot have presidential candidate, national chairman, director general of the campaign.”
“If you don’t have it now, forget it. If anybody tells you, let Ayu resign after election is conducted, then you are a foolish person. This is the time decision is being made.
“This is the time the presidential candidate, national chairman and the leader of campaign will sit, when election is won in February, before the president is sworn in, decisions would have been made,” he said.
In his remarks, Onor said no living person in the contemporary history of the PDP has made more sacrifices for the party than Wike.
He commended the governor for his steadfast support to the party in Cross River, adding that the visit was meant to express their profound gratitude for his (Wike’s) unparalleled benevolence.
