Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Thursday, September 9, said the resignation of Senator Walid Jibrin as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BOT, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is a distraction. He dismissed it as a non-issue, empty, and meant to deceive and hoodwink the people
Jibrin resigned on Thursday during the Party’s 97th meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, at the Party’s Headquarters in Abuja. On his resignation, a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, was appointed the Acting BOT Chairman.
Many had thought that the resignation was meant to appease Wike and his Camp, which includes four State Governors, and a number of other stakeholders in the Party who lament that the structure of the Party as it is, has completely excluded the South. They insist that it is against the constitution of the Party for both the Presidential candidate and its National Chairman come from the same Zone. The National Chairman of the Party, they insist must come from different Zones. Since the candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar comes from the North, Wike and Camp are demanding for the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu as the Party’s Chairman so as to make way for a Southerner.
It was in a bid to appease them that Senator Jibrin resigned for the emergence of Wabara as Acting BOT Chairman.
But in reaction to Jibrin’s resignation, Wike dismissed it as an insult to the South. He said Atiku must fulfill the promise he made to him, Wike; which is: that Ayu would step down as the National Chairman since he, Atiku, emerged as the Presidential candidate.
Explaining, Wike revealed that Atiku visited him a day after the Presidential Primary, and assured him that Ayu must step down as the National Chairman, since he, Atiku, emerged as the Candidate. Wike dared Atiku to deny, and threatened he would reveal the other things Atiku told him if he dared deny.
Wike spoke in Ahoada at the inauguration of the Ahoada Campus and Staff Quarters of the Rivers State University which was performed by the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde.
Wike: “When we finished our convention on Sunday, the candidate of the Party came to see me in my house in Abuja on Monday around 10.30am. The candidate told me that ‘I want us to work together’ and then he said ‘look, Ayu must go.’
“I said ‘Why?’ He (Atiku) said because when a candidate comes from the North, the Chairman will come from the South.
“And I’m saying: implement what you told me. What offence have I committed. It is nothing to do with Wike. It has to do with integrity. This is what he told me.
“I challenge the Presidential candidate to deny this. If he denies it, I will go further to say so many things to Nigerians because enough is enough. We can’t continue this way.
Wike also confirmed that Ayu had said he would resign if the Presidential candidate emerge from the North.
Wike: “Ayu said if the Presidential candidate comes from the North, he will resign after the convention of our Party, and that the Chairman of our Party will come from the South.
“When the North Central leaders met in the house of the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, he (Ayu) said so there.
“When he met the Caucus of the Senate, he told them that.”
Wike said he is fighting because given the current hierarchy of the Party, the South has been cheated. Nobody would protect the interests of the South when decisions will be taken.
He said he would continue to fight until the right thing is done.
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