We’ll remain in PDP and fight for inclusivity, Wike vows

 

.Govs working to end crisis in party – Tambuwal

.PDP ‘ll be more united before campaign starts- Wabara

.Tambuwal now interim chairman of NGF

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

 

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that he will not leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for whatever cause and anybody.

The governor stated that he was rather interested in preserving the sanity of the party and will stay back to fight for the enthronement of unity, inclusivity, equity and peace in the PDP.

Governor Wike made the declaration at the Rivers State PDP stakeholders meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday.

The governor said he is a man of character, unlike those who cannot keep their words and walked out of the party at the Eagle Square in Abuja in 2014.

“One thing I have always told people is, if anybody is thinking, doing anything to think that we will leave PDP, foul.  We will do the fight in the party. We are not like them, when in 2014 they walked out from Eagle Square. They’ve forgot. They walked out and joined APC. Is it not correct?

“Did they remain to fight inside the party? But we remained, they ran away. Now, there is a fight in the party, we will not run. We will fight it in this party. Those who run away from fight are weak people. We will not. So, everybody should know this is the state where we are. So that nobody tells you all kind of stories.”

Governor Wike insisted that the constitution of the party clearly stated that elective and party offices must be zoned which, should be respected.

Governor Wike wondered why the former PDP BOT chairman will be pressurised to resign and  the PDP national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu is excusing himself from keeping to doing what is right.

“You have taken presidential candidate, you have taken party chairman, you have also taken the D.G (director general) of the campaign. We are talking about party politics. Decisions are made by the presidential candidate, chairman of the party and the D.G of the campaign.

“They are telling you they told the chairman of the BOT to resign. So, you know there is a problem. You said he should go and resign. You can put pressure on him to resign when his tenure hasn’t come to an end. But you cannot put pressure on the chairman to resign. You think at our level you will deceive us. You’ll tell us stories.”

Governor Wike recalled how in 2015 the federal government used the military to invade Rivers State, interfered with and even annulled elections, but were resisted.

The governor recalled he made sure the senatorial results for Rivers East was announced that delivered Senator George Thompson Sekibo and that of Rivers West, that produced Senator Betty Apiafi.

Governor Wike regretted that despite the risk taken to deliver them, the same people are now in Abuja plotting against him. He said they won’t succeed because God has blessed him.

The Rivers State governor also clarified that he never promised anybody governorship ticket of the PDP despite the pressure some leaders mounted on him or attempts made to divide the State House of Assembly.

Governor Wike said though he didn’t clinch the PDP presidential ticket, he actually made a good account of himself at the primary.

The governor informed that by next week, Rivers State PDP campaign team will be unveiled and the campaign pattern adopted will be based on each local government peculiarity.

Governor Wike emphasised that all PDP candidates in the State will be returned elected by Rivers people who are satisfied with the performance of his administration.

“We will take all. We are taking all because Rivers people are happy with what we have done in this state. we have not only provided infrastructure, we have also defended the interest of Rivers State.”

He explained that it took courage and firmness for him to protect the interest and assets of Rivers State without compromising it with politics.

Governor Wike explaining that besides securing a refund of money illegally deducted by the federal government over the Police Trust Fund, his administration recovered oil wells wrongly ceded to Imo State and is collecting the accruing revenue from the oil wells in disputed area between Rivers and Bayelsa States.

The governor stated that the federal government won’t be able to use the army and the police in the 2023 election, because Nigerians will vote for political  parties on the basis of their performance.

Governor Wike caution party members who want to be moles and work against the PDP because they were not given the ticket that they sought.

The governor urged party members to be steadfast because God is on their side, and since they have not known defeat, PDP cannot be defeated in 2023 general election in Rivers State.

In his response, State Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Desmond Akawor said the party in the state has already passed a vote of confidence on governor Wike for the way he has piloted the affairs of the State.

He commended the governor for the consistent delivery of projects, defending the interest of the State, and declared that they will continue to follow the leadership that he provides.

Also, Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal on Thursday disclosed that the governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are discussing among themselves with a view to coming up with a solution to the crisis rocking the party soon.

 

Speaking after playing host to the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Tambuwal also added that they have engaged with the BoT and they believe that they will come up with solution to the problem facing the party.

 

In the words of the Governor, “I will like to thank the BoT Chairman, members and his team for this very important initiative. We all know that the BoT is the conscience of the party and when ever there are issues of this nature, the Board of Trustee steps in, it is part of their functions in the party, constitutionally speaking.

 

“We have engaged with them and I believe that what they are likely to come up with will be a solution to the problem we have.

 

“Be rest assured that as governors of the party , we are also talking to ourselves on the way forward and very soon the Governors Forum will meet and we will come up with what we feel should be the solution and the way forward for the party.

 

“We are all interested in working together for an objective and that objective is for the party and Nigerians of good Will, because we believe we have had enough of the government of APC.

 

“We are working to send out APC and their government come may 2023, it is a collective responsibility. Of course we must apply balms, since we all believe that what we have is not good enough, we must work together to solve our internal problems, forge ahead and prosecute the electoral battle and by the grace of God we will have victory”, he said.

 

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of BoT, Senator Adulphus Wabara, who disclosed that Nigerians will see a more united PDP before campaign starts, disclosed that they (BoT) members are going to meet the National Chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu, the party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and also his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa on the way forward.

 

He said that the BoT is going round to see how they can find a lasting solution to the problem dividing the party, adding that they have met with some governors of the party, but have not been able to meet the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike.

 

His words, “Our aim is to get into the Aso Villa, for PDP to get into the Aso Villa in 2023, we need every body to come on board.

 

“We are still moving around, in six days time the campaign will be inaugurated. We hope and pray that before then Nigerians will see a more united PDP. We are doing this not for us, not for the Chairman of the Governors Forum or anybody, we are doing this for Nigerians.

 

“Nigerians are looking up to the PDP to deliver them from what we are experiencing with the ruling party as we speak.

 

“We are going to meet the National Chairman of the party, we will also meeting our candidate Atiku Abubakar, we are also meeting the Vice Presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, who will call upon us any moment.

 

“We have also met with some of the governors. We started from my state, Okezie Ikpeazu, we moved to Enugu to meet Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, from there we met Seyi Makinde of Oyo, we met with Jerry Gana, we are really digging around to find solutions.

 

“We are looking for solutions for all of us to come together and win the election in flying colours.”, he said.

 

Asked to respond to the decision of Wike and his camp to pull out of the Atiku campaign council, Wabara said that they will speak with Wike after addressing the nation on Friday.

 

“After Wike’s address tomorrow we will speak with him. Wike is a member of the Board of Trustee. We have made attempt to meet with him, but I believe he has been very busy,” he said.

 

.Tambuwal now Interim Chairman of the NGF

 

 

 

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, today at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, held at the Aso Rock Villa Abuja transferred power of the NGF to the Governor of Sokoto State, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

 

Tambuwal has served meritoriously and harmoniously as Vice Chairman of the Forum under Dr Fayemi in the last four years.

 

Dr John Kayode Fayemi who was only a few weeks ago elected as the President of the Forum of Regional and State Governments in Saidia in the state of Casablanca in Morrocco attended the NEC virtually from New York City, where he is currently attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

 

The Sokoto State Governor will be holding fort until May next year when a proper election is conducted among the governors.

 

Before making the announcement, the Ekiti State Governor acknowledged the result driven output of the NEC and thanked his colleagues and other members of the council for their support, explaining that yes, we may be occasionally troublesome, coming from the Forum of Governors, and we do test your patience but you have never really expressed any frustration with all our truculent questions and the insistence that the federation must be a true federation.”

 

The new President of the FORAF also did not forget to thank the Secretariat of the NEC and through the NEC thanked the President and Commander in Chief of the Country for taking the resolutions of the NEC seriously by implementing them.

 

In his response the Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo said the NGF chairman had taken the wind out of their sail, because he was “meant to, on behalf of the NEC commend the Ekiti Governor and NGF Chairman’s informed and patriotic services to the council in the last four years and that was enhanced by your chairmanship of the NGF, admitting that the NGF has ensured that we move to a true federation, not just in words but in deeds as well.”

 

Professor Osinbajo prayed that Dr fayemi’s services both nationally and globally to development, and to all of the good which the nation deserves and the global community deserves will continue.

 

Dr Fayemi formally hands over the Chairmanship of the NGF to Rt Hon Amuinu Waziri Tambuwal on the October 16th.