- Says Atiku’s coalition move yet to be discussed officially
A member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Olu Alabi has disclosed that certain factors and circumstances beyond the control of the party have made it difficult for it to sanction the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyesom Wike for his alleged anti-party activities.
Alabi said the party has been patient with the former governor of Rivers State because Wike is like a bull in a China shop.
He disclosed that some of the circumstances that have impeded the party leadership from compelling Wike to face disciplinary action over his attacks on the party is that the Minister has a lot of powerful people backing him.
The BoT member made this known while speaking on a radio programme monitored by THE POINT in Osogbo on Monday.
Alabi added that another factor working in Wike’s favour is the controversy surrounding the authentic National Secretary of the party as his ally, Samuel Anyanwu still functions in that capacity.
The elder statesman explained that the presence of Wike at a strategic meeting convened by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and held at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja indicated that there are many leaders of the party and among BoT that are supporting him in relegating PDP.
He said it has been difficult for the party to even serve Wike notice of his alleged anti-party activities because his ally, Anyanwu, who ought to have authored it, has been working for him and has refused to exit the National Secretary position.
For him, Wike alone is not too powerful for the party to handle and show the way out of PDP, but that the presidency and some figures in PDP have been his backbone.
According to Alabi, the more reason why the party leaders met was to sanitize PDP from top by ensuring that the BoT is restructured to strengthen its capacity in saving the party from saboteurs.
He described the protracted crisis over the party’s National Secretary position has one of the major challenges affecting the party, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission to wade in by announcing who the right scribe is since the courts have failed to be clear on the matter.
“We have appealed to INEC to upload the right PDP National Secretary on their website. Even the courts are not helping matter on this issue of National Secretary of our party. That is why we want INEC to decide who the actual PDP National Secretary is. People are interpreting court judgments differently and this has not helped us,” he said.
On why it has been difficult to check Wike, Alabi maintained that caution was needed in handling the Minister, saying if care is not taken, he may wreck the party further.
“The truth is that Wike has become like something you can’t be expunge and can’t keep. One has to handle him with patience. His matter is like a bull in China shop and you know if care is not taken, a lot of objects will be destroyed,” Alabi who contested Osun governorship seat in 1999 said.
He added, “It is not that Wike is that powerful, it is those supporting him that are powerful; the federal government. As you can see, he is the first non-northerner to become FCT minister, his predecessors are from the North. This was done by the federal government to give him backing to be rocking the PDP boat. But, by God’s grace, we will prevail.
On how Wike got to attend the recent meeting in Abuja, Alabi stated, “The problem we have is that it is the National Secretary that will write letter. The current National Secretary is Wike’s ally. And this has been the challenge. He is the one sending circular and no one can stop him. He is the one that sent circular to Wike. Even some of our leaders are backing Wike.”
“Governors should be united and presidential ambition shouldn’t divide them. We must first handle our NEC and the National Working Committee. If we do not restructure the NWC, we won’t move forward. Those disturbing us are also members of the NWC,” he insisted.
Speaking on the coalition move by the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, Alabi disclosed said the party highest hierarchy has never for once discussed merging with other political parties.
He said if the party would consider coalition, Atiku would not be the person to spearhead it.
“If we are going to merge, Atiku won’t lead it. I, as one of the founding fathers of PDP and as a BOT member, we have never discussed the issue of merger,” he said.
Reacting to call for Atiku’s exit from PDP, the BoT member said the former Vice President of Nigeria is not the problem of the party, noting, “our problem is multifaceted.”
“We can’t say Atiku is our problem. Our challenge is multifaceted. We want to restructure the BoT so that it will lead the party well. Atiku wants to be Nigeria’s president. No one can ask him not to be ambitious. Even others in the party are also gearing up but the party primary will decide. We can’t oppose or stop him for that but when the time comes, God will teach us what to do,” he said.