Says those calling for his resignation are children
I’ll only do the bidding of Nigerians – Wike retorts
BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
Hope of an early amicable settlement of the crisis rocking the main opposition People’s Democratic Party dipped on Wednesday as National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, aimed a blistering potshot at Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his supporters who are calling for his resignation, describing them as children who were not around when the party was formed.
Wike, still very much disgruntled, 90 days after a national convention that threw up Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate, together with his supporters has made the resignation of Ayu a prerequisite to support Atiku in the campaign and the 2023 general elections.
However, speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa Service, Ayu took his detractors down memory lane, saying those calling for his resignation were not around or at best children when the party was born, and that he wasn’t bothered by the call for his resignation which he classified as “noises”.
In what looks like asserting his position and foreclosing any forms of negotiation to find an amicable resolution to the current impasse, Ayu declared that “I was voted as PDP Chairman for a four-year tenure and I’m yet to complete a year. Atiku’s victory doesn’t affect the Chairman’s position.
I won my election based on our party’s constitution.
“I didn’t commit any offense; I’m only reforming the party so I’m not bothered with all the noises. I know I’m doing my work and I didn’t steal any money so I see no reason for all these talks. When we started PDP, these children were not around. They are children who do not know why we formed the party. We will not allow any individual to destabilize our party,” he said.
By coincidence, Wike also on Wednesday fired several missiles at unnamed chieftains of the party, saying he will only do the biddings of Nigerians and not of some persons ahead of the 2023 polls.
Speaking at Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state when he flagged off the Igwuruta Internal Roads project, he said “Nobody should deceive you. No amount of social media war against us (Rivers) can solve any problem. Anybody who wants our vote must tell us what is there for us. Our vote is not for free. Our vote is for you to tell us what you will deliver to us.
“No amount of money, no amount of threat that can make me sell my people, not in this world. What I said today, is what I will say tomorrow. Go and check our history. We are not known for this kind of character.
“Some people threatened that they were former generals. They are close to the CIA in America, they can deal with us. I said no problem. If you are close to the American CIA, why not use it to solve the Boko Haram problem? Is it on my body you will use it?
“Nigeria has a serious problem. And you are linked to the American CIA and you are a former general, why not use that contact and solve Nigeria’s problem?
“You want to use it to threaten me? Do you want me to come and do your bidding? I will not do that. I will do the bidding of Nigerians not the bidding of individuals, who believe that if they are not there, their children will be there.
“So, if you have given to Adamawa; you have given to Benue, you have given to Delta, won’t you give us? You can’t just come and collect votes.”
He blasted one of the leaders of the party in South-South for making offensive remarks in Kano State, describing it as shameful.
“The God of confusion will put confusion in them. They think they are doing Rivers State. They are doing it themselves. They will see confusion from now till the end until they withdraw and understand that there is no road there.
“Some time ago, I was watching television and one of the leaders in South-South was in Kano saying all manner of things. I just shook my head.
I said go on. If he is the kind of father I will have, it’s better I don’t have him.
“There are some fathers you will see, you wonder whether they are children.
People, who would like to eat their own share, eat their children’s share and eat their grandchildren’s share.
“I say, time will come when Nigerians will know this kind of character.
Characters that would like to say all kinds of things because of power, characters that would be agents to destroy their own people, characters that don’t care if their own families collapse.
“So, all of you should be prepared; a day shall come when you will take the decision on what to do.” he declared.
Atiku, a former vice president, had defeated Wike in the presidential primaries of the party which was held in May.
The party then set up a committee to come up with the name of a possible vice presidential candidate.
The committee headed by Governor Sam Ortom of Benue State was said to have settled for Wike out of three South-South governors made up of Wike, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State. However, Atiku side-stepped Wike and picked Okowa as a running mate, a development that allegedly infuriated Wike exceedingly.
He has since then maintained not just a ‘sit down look’ attitude towards almost everything about the party but has rather cultivated a chummy relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress to the dismay of party chieftains.
Wike and his supporters argue that it would be unfair for the party’s chairman and its presidential flag bearer to hail from the same region.
