…party denies media campaign against governor
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has lambasted some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), calling them sycophants and tax collectors ‘who will never tell the truth’.
The governor on his Twitter page stated this after pulling out of the reconciliation efforts of the Edo State Chapter of the PDP ahead of its primary on Thursday.
Some PDP governorship aspirants in Edo State have vowed not to step down for Governor Godwin Obaseki who recently defected to the party after he was disqualified by his former party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to Wike, instead of the NWC to carry everybody along in Edo state, they resorted to using the media to blackmail him.
“I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along. They must respect human beings and not behave like tax collectors.
“They said because an order was obtained from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, then I am responsible.
“I have had sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo state. The Governors of Edo, Adamawa, and Delta states, know what I have done to resolve the issues in Edo state.
“As a result of this senseless accusation, I have pulled out of Edo State settlement. My integrity matters. I have also directed my lawyer to write ThisDay Newspaper on the publication they made against me in their Tuesday,23rd June, 2020 edition.
“I know the members of the National Working Committee of PDP who connived with ThisDay. They are tax collectors. Let them challenge me and I will come out with more facts.
“Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back”, he stated.
Governor Wike said he would no longer participate in any reconciliation and wondered why the NWC now wants to consult Governors of the party.
He questioned why the NWC did not consult with Governors in the case of Bayelsa State.
The governor warned that if PDP is not careful, the crisis in the All Progressive Congress (APC) would be a child’s play.
“I am brought up not to accept injustice, and that is why I keep speaking out on national issues. Nobody in PDP can intimidate Rivers State.
“Nobody can threaten me because I said things must be done constitutionally. I will always continue to satisfy my conscience.
“From now on, I want to concentrate on the development of Rivers State”, he said.
Meanwhile, the PDP on Tuesday night denied sponsoring media campaign to malign Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike.
The party in a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan described media publications targeted against the governor as “the handwork of external forces and enemies of the PDP who are bent on sowing seeds of discord within the party.
A national daily in its Tuesday publication, quoted Governor Wike as referring to some National Working Committee members as tax collectors among other derogatory names.
The statement reads, “The National Working Committee wishes to place on record that none of its members has acted like a “tax collector” in whatever meaning the term represents either in the process leading to the Edo primary election or any other state.
“Our party holds Governor Wike and indeed all our PDP governors, who, of course, have been the pillars of our great party, with the utmost respect and had always consulted them on all party affairs.
“The PDP appreciates the efforts and sacrifices of our governors and will not allow enemies of our party, who are out to cause disunity in our fold by sponsoring baseless publications against our leaders, to have their ways.
“This time demands the unity of all our leaders to keep our political rivals, who are facing extinction, from importing their crises into our party.
“The PDP remains one indivisible family and our members are at alert and will continue to resist every attempt by external forces to divide our ranks at this critical time.”
