Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers says
he has right just like every individual to support any aspirant of his choice
to contest the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairmanship position.
He said this on Saturday in
Abuja, at the party`s national convention.
Wike was reacting to allegation
that he was imposing a particular aspirant on party members.
“You know in politics you hear a
lot of stories, I have a right to support any candidate of my choice, and I do
not see how that can be said to be imposition.
“Making statements that some
people have hijacked the party is not correct, with all due respect, we are not
playing sentiments, the people know what they want,’’ Wike said.
He added that though governors
may have influence, such influence was limited to their states, saying that
there was nothing wrong in a governor backing an aspirant he believed in his
capacities.
One of the aspirants, Chief
Olabode George, a member of the PDP Board of Trustee (BoT), while announcing
his withdrawal from the race, accused Wike of insulting the Yoruba race on a
national television.
Wike said that the Yoruba people
had never contributed anything meaningful to the success of the PDP, a
statement he said was insultive.
George maintained that Wike must
tender an unreserved apology to the Yoruba people for his utterances against
the race.
George, who was among four other
aspirants that withdrew from the race, also accused Wike of hijacking the
party`s machinery and trying to impose a particular aspirant on its members.
The PDP BoT member who stood for
the party`s micro-zoning principal said that the South-West was already cheated
with the entrant of aspirants from the South-South.
He also alleged that the PDP
chairmanship position had been sold to the highest bidder.
“It appears the PDP is bent on
self-destruction, I can’t be part of this, the chairmanship position has been
sold to the highest bidder.
“It appears that PDP has lost its
soul. I cannot be part of this criminal allegation, the PDP is now mangled.
“I hereby withdraw from the fraud
as a Yoruba patriot, I will stand for our people,’’ George said while
announcing his withdrawal from the race.’’
He added that he entered the race
due to the micro zoning arrangement which he said had been trashed.
He, however, explained that he
did not step down from the race for anybody, but for the process and on
principle, adding that his measure of experience was too heavy.
Wike, while reacting to the
development, said; “with all due respect, George is suppose to be seen as a
father, what he did yesterday was to exhibit failure’’.
According to Wike, George cannot
change the fortune of the party in his zone when the opportunity presented
itself.
He, however, expressed optimism
that the PDP would become stronger after the convention in spite of the
withdrawal of George and other aspirants from the race.
He added that George was one of
the leaders of the party, and one of its founding father and could not run away
from it.
“He has to remain in the party to
join in rebuilding it,’’ Wike said. (NAN)
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FEMI fani kayode supposed to say something here, if really he has respect for Yoruba leaders
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