Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State says he does not have any problem with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but Senator Iyioricha Ayu must relinquish his position as the party’s national chairman.
Wike send this after Atiku rescheduled his campaigns to enable new emissaries sent to the embattled Rivers governor to intervene in the lingering crisis in the party.
The camp of Wike, comprising five governors and other influential members of the party, had shunned the campaign council over the refusal of the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign.
In the campaign timetable that had been in the public domain, Atiku and the campaign train were supposed to be in Kebbi State yesterday (Wednesday) and Zamfara today (Thursday).
But the campaign for the two states has been rescheduled as the party intensifies efforts to lure Wike’s camp to key into the Atiku project.
Speaking when he hosted Cross River State PDP governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly candidates and PDP local government party chairmen at his private residence in Rumueprikom, Rivers, on Thursday, Wike said efforts for amicable resolution of the crisis rocking the PDP has been frustrated by “rent seeker” in the party.
The governor said nobody could convince him to change his stance that the PDP should yield its national chairmanship position to Southern Nigeria.
The governor, during the meeting which was attended by the party’s South-South national vice chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, explained that the seeming intractable crisis in the party had lingered because some vested interests, whom he described as “hyenas and rent seekers,” have remained obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in the party.
“We have finished presidential primaries, we have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying remove presidential candidate? Is Wike saying remove vice presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for? All I am saying, and I will continue to say is that you have taken president, give us (national) chairman.