PDP are ‘corrupt’ – Wike attacks his Party

Sade AdewaleSeptember 12, 2019

0 2 minutes read

Rivers State Governor, Wike attacks the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says party’s committee ‘corrupt’

The Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, has surprisingly attacked his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning it not to “toy” with the interest of the state.

Mr Wike attacked the PDP on Wednesday while expressing his angst against a committee set up by the party to investigate Ndudi Elumelu’s emergence as the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

The governor accused the committee of being corrupt.

Mr Elumelu (PDP, Delta State) was elected minority leader in July, despite the opposition from the PDP national leadership which wanted Kingsley Chinda, from Rivers State, for the position.

The PDP leadership irked by the development suspended Mr Elumelu and set up the committee to investigate what happened.

“The committee set up by the PDP on the illegal emergence of Ndudi Elumelu is the most corrupt committee ever set up by the party,” a statement from the Rivers Government House quoted the governor to have said in Port Harcourt.

“We thank our worthy son, Austin Opara, for withdrawing from that committee, so that he is not entangled in the illegal activities of the tainted committee.”

Mr Opara, a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, who is from Rivers State, declined comment when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him, Thursday morning.

“We are warning PDP to be careful not to toy with Rivers State,” Governor Wike said.

“The state has all it takes to withstand the PDP and fight the party to a standstill. Rivers governor is not one of those governors that anyone can cajole. He is not one of those governors that will kowtow to illicit activities.”

The reason for Mr Wike’s outburst is unclear. The governor’s media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, declined comment on the matter when PREMIUM TIMES contacted, Thursday morning.

Mr Wike is among the most influential governors within the PDP. He played a leading role in the election of Uche Secondus, from Rivers State, as the national chairman of the party.

The governor in September 2018, just before the conduct of the PDP presidential primary, had issued a similar threat to the party over a “plot” to move the party’s national convention from Rivers to another state.

“I don’t know why anyone who wants to be president, will be afraid of a venue. Then you are not prepared for the election.

“Nobody should dare Rivers State any longer. Enough is enough. PDP should know that we are not a punching bag. We are not a people you can use and push. We are not harlots. Whenever you want, you come. When you finish, you push us aside,” Mr Wike had said.

The PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, could not immediately be reached for his reaction, as he was said to be in a meeting when PREMIUM TIMES tried to contact him, Thursday morning.