A former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dele Momodu, has revealed that despite the internal wranglings rocking the party, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike will not dump the main opposition party for another party because he (Wike) is a strong party man and a principled politician.
Momodu spoke on the backdrop of the current internal crisis rocking the party following the emergence of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.
The New Diplomat had earlier reported how the party had been inundated with crisis in recent times. First, it was reported that Wike directed that flag of the party is taken down from the government house. Thereafter, another report emerged that Wike had sued the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
However, Momodu, a PDP chieftain, and publisher of Ovation Magazine has come out to reveal that Wike will not abandon the party because he is a principled politician.
“For me, governor Wike is a very principled man; if there’s one thing he has been consistent about, it is his love for PDP; I believe he will not leave PDP. He is playing a mind game and he’s good at it. What shall he profit him if he joins APC?” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily Monday.
According to Momodu, the development in the party following the outcome of the presidential primary has made the governor of Rivers a force to be reckoned with.
He stated that the PDP presidential candidate should have a one-on-one meeting with Wike to resolve the crisis rocking the party.
Momodu added, “What I would advise Atiku Abubakar to do today is to sit down one-on-one without no other person present with governor Wike and agree on deliverables, If, possible, sign an agreement.
“Governor Wike believes that the party should have respected the zoning principle, number two, he believes that zoning would have favoured a southern candidate. Three, he believed that of all the southern aspirants, he is the one that has the capacity to deliver victory to the party.
“The situation in PDP shows what Wike is in the equation of things in Nigeria. If you have a man who is your best governor across the board, across party lines, Wike stands out as a fantastic performer.
“Today, the fear of Wike is the beginning of wisdom in PDP, there is no question about that. Wike is smart, he knows the game he’s playing, and what he wants to do is to force a deal with the party. That’s my own reading of the situation.”
The conflict in the PDP after the party’s presidential primary appears to be deepening.
While many southern governors had insisted that the region produces President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor next year, the emergence of Atiku from Adamawa, North-East has thwarted the plan.
Since the crisis, the PDP Bot of Trustees (BOT) has held a series of talks to mend fences between Wike and Atiku but the duo are yet to strike a peace deal. Rather, the camp loyal to Wike is insisting that the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, should resign his position since he is from the North-Central.
The crisis became even more pronounced when Wike was passed over for the Vice-Presidential position n favour of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Similarly, fears are that Wike, who came second in the PDP presidential primary, might dump the main opposition party. The fears became evident as the governor has been receiving notable politicians, especially those from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
