Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday reiterated his early stand on the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike insisted that the resignation of Ayu remains the only condition for reconciliation in the party.
Wike stated that nobody could convince him to drop the request of his group that Ayu should relinquish the national chairmanship position to the South.
Wike disclosed this when he hosted Cross River State candidates for governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly, and local government party chairmen, elections at his private residence in Rumueprikom.
According to Wike, his efforts for amicable resolution of the crisis in the PDP, was being frustrated by rent seekers in the party.
He described people criticising a Muslim-Muslim ticket and at the same time supporting another eight years of northern presidency as hypocrites.
Wike’s comments were contained in a statement by his Special Assistant, on Kelvin Ebiri on Thursday.
The meeting attended by the party’s Southsouth National Vice-Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih.
The Governor explained that the crisis in the party had lingered because some vested interests, whom he described as “hyenas and rented seekers,” had remained obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in PDP.
“We have finished presidential primaries, we have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying remove vice and presidential candidate?
“So, what are you begging me for? All I am saying, and I will continue to say is that you have taken president, give us (national) chairman.
“Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the presidential candidate, if I am saying remove the vice-presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this.” The statement read.
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 were all from the north.
The governor stated that refusal to cede the national chairmanship position to the South would be a recipe for crisis.
He said: “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, fulfil 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.”
The governor said it was hypocritical for some people in the PDP to criticise Muslim/Muslim ticket, while supporting that a particular region of the country should retain the presidency for another eight years.
“He insisted that for the sake of holistic peace, PDP should adhere to the tenets of its constitution, which explicitly recommended that when a presidential candidate emerged from the north, the national chairman should be from the South.
“The governor said the clamour for the chairman of the PDP to be zoned to the South would persist until justice, fairness and equity prevailed in the PDP.” Ebiri said.
The Governor said, “This is period that power game is being played, If you don’t have it now, forget it. If anybody tells you, let (Iyorchia) 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 explained that the governor disclosed that he had commenced full blown politicking ahead of the 2023 general elections, adding that those, who wanted to undermine him and his allies would be doing so at their own peril.
The Governor thanked the Cross River PDP delegates for the support given to him during the presidential primary.
The governor said he would remain eternally grateful to them and all the other delegates that voted for him.
He said: “If there is nothing I achieved, I can go home and sleep that I won Cross River State. Not only did I win, I won very well. I feel so happy and that tells you of people who have character of steadfastness. People who will never be pushed around for whatever it is. People who believe in the principles of life, people who believe in fairness, justice and equity.”
Wike said the visit would spur him to continue to support the party in Cross River ahead of the 2023 general elections and used the occasion to announce the donation of 25 buses to the party.
“This visit will spur me the more to give you support. I am not coming to Cross River to vote, but you are my friends. I have a right to support you”, he said.
Speaking earlier, Cross River State PDP governorship candidate, senator Sandy Onor, who led the delegation, said Wike remains a trailblazer for justice, fairness and equity.
“He stressed that no living person in the contemporary history of the PDP had made more sacrifice for the party than governor Wike.
“Onor commended Wike for his steadfast support to the party in Cross River, adding that the intent of the visit was to express their profound gratitude for his unparalleled benevolence.
“Similarly, the senator representing Cross River North, senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, noted that without governor Wike’s support, PDP would have been extinct in the State.
“On his part, the Cross River State PDP chairman, Venatius Ikem, thanked governor Wike for his unrelenting support to the party.”
