The Governor of Rivers State,Barr. Nyesom Wike is presently the beautiful bride of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP); just as he continues to hold the Party by the jugular, after losing the Presidential Primary Ticket and not being picked as a Vice Presidential Candidate.
There are still fears that if Wike is not properly pacified, the face off between him and the PDP Presidential Candidate, Abubakar Atiku might affect the chances of the PDP Electoral fortune in the 2023 Presidential election.
To this extent, frantic moves are being made by the Atiku Camp to reach out to the Wike Camp for a compromise, but so far, no truce is in sight.
More worrisome to the PDP is Wike’s clandestine meetings with the Top Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), especially the one he held last week Monday in London with the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and some Governors. There are fears that these closed doors meetings if not checked may portend danger and negatively affect the chances of PDP.
In order to forestall such possibilities and avoid the likelihood of losing Nyesom Wike to the ruling Party, this Medium learnt that a very crucial meeting of the National Working Committee of the PDP met with all the PDP Governorship Candidates in the 36 States of the country except one or two and their Main Topic was Nyesom Wike.
The meeting took place at it’s Wadata Plaza Headquarters in Wuse Abuja last Wednesday. This was two days after Tinubu had the said meeting in London with him and having the likes of Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom, Kayode Fayemi, Babajide Sanwo Olu. In view of Nyesom Wike’s romance with the APC, many PDP members have called for reconciliation and amicable resolution of issues.
There are those who however see his actions as ” Anti Party Activities”. and calling for appropriate sanctions. Some wonder how he could still be in the PDP and be seen and heard openly hobnobbing with opposition politicians. Some see him as behaving like he owns the PDP when on the contrary it is the PDP that actually owns him.
In a reconciliatory move, the PDP Presidential Candidate, Abubakar Atiku cautioned his supporters and Party Stalwarts to stop making inciting statements that could affect the ongoing internal reconciliation process. Abubakar Atiku pointed out that the Rivers State Governor and his counterparts in other States of the Federation are working very hard to make sure that the PDP obtains victory during next year’s Presidential election. As the Beautiful Bride that he is, Nyesom Wike’s “crushes” are not limited to APC or PDP alone! The Labour Party is also making overtures to him.
That is why on Thursday last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo met with him and the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party,Mr. Peter Obi in London. Wike attended the meeting with his allies including: Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and former Governor of Cross River State,Donald Duke, among others. Though details of the closed doors meeting was not made available to the Press, information filtering out indicates that the meeting centred on who becomes who after the 2023 Presidential election. Back in Nigeria, as soon as the Rivers State Governor touched the PortHarcourt International Airport, he was accosted by a horde of Journalists who are curious to know what transpired in the series of meetings he had in London.
The Governor confirmed that he indeed had meetings with Abubakar Atiku,Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi and Olusegun Obasanjo in London. He explained that the main reasons for the meetings was on how to chart a new course for Nigeria. He revealed that all is not well with Nigeria and that they are seeking for remedies that will restore enduring hope for Nigeria. In the heat of all that is going on, it is being insinuated that Governor Wike has given the PDP Hierarchy a tall order. Among the conditions the Governor has put forward for him to remain and work for the victory of the PDP in the forthcoming election, are for the National Chairman of the Party Senator Iyorcha Ayu to be replaced, that choice Ministerial positions should be reserved for him and his supporters and that enough logistics should be provided for the campaign. Wike’s Camp has gone ahead to propose the appointment of Taofeek Arapaja as the new National Acting Chairman of the Party. As events continues to unfolds, we are watching with keen interest. Who blinks first? Will Wike’s conditions be met? Or will the PDP Control Tower tell him to go to hell and burn to blazes?.
Remember it was Wike who once said that he preferred to remain in PDP where the sickness is malaria, than go to APC where the sickness is stage 4 cancer, which is incurable. Will Wike swallow his words and join APC ? What if his Party( PDP) refused to budge?, will he swallow his pride and sit down quietly to watch? Or will he go on rampage and become a spoiler? The answers to all these are in the womb of time.
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