• He can be disciplined; he doesn’t own PDP – Atiku’s aide
From Fred Itua and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Recent statements by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that no one in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in a position to suspend or expel him from the main opposition party have continued to cause ripples within and outside the party.
Wike had, during a television interview during the week, insisted that no one in the party, including members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) could force him out of the PDP.
“How can anybody talk about expelling me? With all due respect, I have not seen that person,” he had stated.
“Nobody will do it. So the issue that they will do it does not arise. Who will discipline me? I should be the one calling for the discipline of people who violated the party’s constitution on rotation. “We are just waiting for the presidential panel to finish, you will know who actually are those who are working well for the party.
“How can anybody talk about expelling me? A state that brought a governor? A state that brought three senators? A state that produced 32 House of Assembly members? A state that produced 11 out of 13 House of Representatives members?
“The person that would suspend me is the one that couldn’t produce a governor, is the one that couldn’t produce three senators?
“I have not seen that person, with all due respect. Nobody will do it. So, the issue of they will do it does not arise,” the minister had emphasised.
Since Wike made the controversial comments, stakeholders in the PDP have been divided on the possible next line of action.
Besides Wike, other PDP leaders, especially serving governors, who worked against the interest of the party before and during the 2023 general elections were said to have been pencilled down for some sanctions. But no action has since been taken against any of the governors since then.
Some of the leaders are governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, among others. Other PDP leaders who also admitted to not working for the party’s presidential candidate in the election are former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose and Chief Bode George, as well as their supporters in the party. However, unlike Wike, most of the other PDP leaders have remained silent since the poor outing of the PDP during the general elections. A close ally of the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, told Saturday Sun that Wike’s issue and fate will be decided after the conclusion of the ongoing elections litigation by the party.
He said the party’s leadership and elders, including members of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee have been urged to maintain decorum until the issues are resolved. He admitted to the reporter that Wike is too entrenched in the NWC and NEC of the PDP, adding that it might be impossible to push the FCT minister out of the party. He also stated that leaders of the opposition caucuses in the two chambers of the National Assembly are loyalists of the outspoken former governor of Rivers State, noting that a good percentage of the NWC members who are expected to initiate his expulsion are also loyalists of the minister.. The PDP leader said Wike financed the campaigns of many governors, senators and members of the National Assembly, who are key stakeholders in the PDP. He said until a fresh leadership is installed in the PDP, Wike will continue to call the shots, in spite of hobnobbing with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration. He noted that even if a fresh leadership is inaugurated, it might be difficult to expel the minister, noting that many of his loyalists are spread everywhere in all structures within the party.
The PDP leader said when the court cases are concluded, the PDP may hold an emergency convention to elect fresh members of the party’s NWC who will not hold their allegiance to Wike. He said: “Wike was right when he said nobody can remove him or suspend him. He knows that he controls the different organs of the PDP form NWC to NEC, and even National Assembly caucuses.
“Wike funded the elections of many PDP governors who are in office and they must have a say when you want to suspend Wike or expel him from the party completely. That’s the truth and the PDP leaders understand this.
“Again, we’ve decided to focus on the different court cases on elections, especially the presidential tribunal. As soon as they’re resolved and we know where we stand, the issue of Wike will be decided. “One of the ways to deal with him is to hold an emergency convention. That’s on the way. Once that’s done Wike’s allies will be pushed out and neutral people whose loyalty is to the party, will come on board.
“We’ll revisit the composition of the minority caucuses in the National Assembly who are loyal to Wike. Like I said, for now, we are focusing on other priorities. But when all that is done, we will go back to Wike and handle his case, unless he repents.”
Wike, upon his assumption of office almost a fortnight ago, claimed that he got the nod of the PDP leadership in his ward, local government, state and zone to accept the ministerial position offered to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He had also claimed that his decision was not opposed by any organ of the party, contrary to claims by some that he acted alone.
Efforts by Saturday Sun, yesterday, to get the opposition party’s reaction to Wike’s insistence that the party cannot discipline him, was unsuccessful as the national chairman, Umar Damagum, neither answered calls to his mobile phone nor responded to a WhatsApp message by our correspondent.
Similarly, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and the Deputy National Publicity, Abdullahi Ibrahim, also did not respond to several calls and WhatsApp message to their mobile lines, as at press time. But the former Vice President and the party’s Presidential Candidate in last February’s presidential poll, Atiku Abubakar, speaking through his Special Adviser on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in a telephone interview, told Saturday Sun, that PDP does not belong to the FCT Minister.
“Wike is not the owner of PDP. And it is preposterous for anyone to say that a 20 something old party cannot discipline him. And I dare to ask if Wike has made any claim that he founded the party or that he acquired 90 per cent shares in the party, since he brags like someone that is richer than Dangote, Tony Elumelu and Otedola combined.”
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