By Charles Igbo
Monday, August 29, 2022, was a big day for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Its National Leadership, and high profile stakeholders, including Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin, and some State Governors were present.
It was a big do. Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, who is fast acquiring the reputation of a political rolling stone, was, for the second time, returning to the PDP. Before now, Senator Shekarau had decamped from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, then back to the PDP, then back to the APC, then to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and, again, on Monday, back to the PDP.
Shekarau had joined another former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in the NNPP after Kwankwaso inexplicably dumped the PDP for the second time. But they soon fell apart.
Shekarau said he and his supporters were not only short-changed by Kwankwaso, they were betrayed. He said none of the agreements he reached with Kwankwaso was kept. So, on Monday, he and thousands of his supporters officially dumped NNPP for the PDP.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who has been battling Atiku since the former Vice President defeated him at the Party’s Presidential Primary, then shunned him and picked Okowa as running mate was, nor surprisingly, absent. He and his Camp which includes three State Governors, have since after Okowa’s choice, given the PDP a wide berth. If anything, Wike has been engaged in what not a few people term anti-party activities. He has been, publicly, romancing Presidential candidates from other Parties, and making statements to provoke his Party, the PDP.
Even though Wike was not at the Monday event in Kano, it did not stop him from keeping an eye on the goings-on. He said he watched it on television. And he had something to say about it.
Wike did not comment on the number of Party big wigs who graced the occasion. He did not comment on the intimidating crowd which defied the heavy rain to grace it. He did not comment on Shekarau’s tough promise to deliver Kano State to Atiku. But he commented on something only a Wike will comment on.
Wike said that while watching the television, he saw a rapist at the event. The rapist, he said, is from Rivers State, and so, Wike’s subject.
Wike neither mentioned the alleged rapist by name, or identified him, but political analysts said Wike meant to “pour cold water” on the otherwise, successful event.
Said Wike at an event in Porthacourt on Tuesday: “I was watching television yesterday (Monday), when they went to Kano to receive Shekarau. I saw one rapist from Rivers State sitting at the back where he went to join them to receive Shekarau. But I asked him: how many people have you made to join your party in your State?
“You have gone to receive somebody somewhere, but you have not made efforts to receive other people to join your own party in your State. You like when food is ready, you’ll go and eat, but for you to cook, no. It is where people have cooked that you go to eat the food but you won’t cook your own.
“As people who want the party to win, or who want their candidate to win the election, what role are you playing in your State to make sure your party wins the election?
“How many people have you been able to galvanise, mobilise them for them to leave their party to join your party? That is to show you are committed, willing and ready to make your Party win an election.”
Many PDP loyalists have dismissed the Governor’s allegation as sour grapes, and challenged him to name the rapist.
