Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has accused the Uche
Secondus’ National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) of sowing seed of discord among PDP governors and jeopardising the
party’s prospect to clinch the presidency in 2023.
He also warned that President Mohammadu Buhari’s integrity
would be at stake if he failed to honour invitation of the House of
Representatives to address the growing concern about the spate of insecurity
across the country.
Wike, while speaking on a live television programme in Port
Harcourt on Friday, said it was regrettable that instead of capitalising on the
inefficiency and maladministration that has characterised the All Progressives
Congress, APC’s five years in power, PDP’s NWC is deepening cracks in the
party.
“PDP ought to have harvested from the inefficiency of the
APC; from the maladministration of the APC. Ordinarily, that is what opposition
party ought to do. If you ask me, are Nigerians waiting for a change? Yes. If
you ask me as a member of PDP, am ready to support PDP to takeover, yes. But,
if you ask me currently as it is, is the leadership of the party willing for us
to harvest this opportunity for a change, I will say no.”
He explained that rather than focus on strategies on how to
take advantage of the growing disenchantment with the APC government, the NWC
is sowing seed of discord among governors using two former governors of Imo and
Cross River States and present Senator from Benue State.
“An opposition party that ought to be united, to work, to
take over the affairs of government, because people are waiting for this
opportunity, but the current leadership of NWC is not prepared for that,
rather, what they have done is to constitute some people to sow a seed of
discord among governors for their own selfish interest. And that will
boomerang; that will consume them.”
The governor said because he lacked the ability to defect to
the APC or another political party, he would continue to do what he could to
ensure the survival of the PDP.
“I will not allow anybody to kill PDP. They have capacity to
move to APC. I don’t and I cannot move to APC. So, anybody that tries to do
something to destroy PDP, I will not allow you. Anybody that I see that has the
trait to destroy the PDP, I will not allow it,” he said.
He described as disingenuous the decision of the NWC to
jettison the recommendations of Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom led
committee set up to reconcile the party in Niger and Plateau States, just
because of its vested interest in Niger State.
The governor accused the current leadership of NWC of merely
being interested in retaining current structure of the party to remain in
power, and not to win the 2023 election.
“The present National Working Committee is not interested or
doing anything to take over the realms of government in 2023. When your
interest is to remain in power, you are no longer interested to win election.”
Wike also said the level of insecurity leading to deaths,
particularly in Borno State and other parts of the country ought to have
compelled Buhari to keep his promise of honouring the invitation by the House
of Representatives.
He pointed out that it was APC members who control majority
in the National Assembly that moved the motion to invite President to address
them on what measures are being taken to tackle and end the spate of violent
killings, to which he consented.
The governor said it was wrong for the Minister of Justice
and Attorney General of the Federation to turn around to subject the invitation
to legal interpretation, instead of protecting the integrity of the President
which is now at stake.
“There is insecurity. People are dying. You don’t go by
legal approach to solve that problem. If Mr President had given the assurance,
saying my integrity is at stake, therefore I will go, that decision was not
taken without talking first to his inner cabinet.
“It’s not a question and answer session. You go with a brief
to address the congress. To say, see where it was when we came, see where we
are today. Yes, we have not achieved what we thought, but what we require from
everyone is cooperation.
“For me, I think this is not the period to be legalistic.
This is the period every Nigerian should be concerned about what is happening.
Just this morning (Friday), I heard that 16 people were killed on Abuja-Kaduna
road yesterday. Look at the loss of life in Borno State. Senate has said look,
Mr President, relief all Service Chiefs, which means they are concerned about
the security situation in the country,” he said.
He further stated that if he were the Attorney General of
the federation, he would have advised the President privately and urge him to
write a letter to the House of Representatives that he would come at a later
day because of the exigency of his office.
To end the spate of violent crime in the country, Wike
recommended the creation of employment opportunities for youths and drastic
change to operational system of policing in the country.
He insisted that States must be allowed to be involved in
the Community police, which has already been hijacked by APC members.
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