Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has stated that the decision of his group in the ongoing crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to remain in the party is enough concession towards the resolution of the matter.
Wike made the statement Friday in another live media parley in Port Harcourt saying that the insistence of his group on the party following its constition as it relates to sharing political party positions was without compromise.
He stated that he and his group were eager and interested in the amicable resolution of the matter but accused the PDP hierarchy of not being prepared to shift ground.
Wike said; “is not leaving PDP enough concession? Which concession have they made. If I and the other five governors say we are leaving the party, will there still be PDP? There is nobody who wants to win election and see what’s going on now and say it is alright?
He dismissed claims that the PDP had suspended its Presidential campaigns until there is an amicable resolution of the crisis and the Governor and his group are fully back into the fold and denied the claim that the party had sent a three-man committee to reconcile him and his team back into the party.
“Nobody has told me anything about reconciliation meeting with any three dignitaries”, Wike stated accusing the PDP leadership of lack of integrity.
He added; “If a leader does not have integrity forget it. That is the the problem Nigeria has. Part of the problem we have in the country is lack of integrity of leaders”.
He explained that for him and his team it is that equity, justice and fairness are restored in the party hierarchy or nothing, warning; “if we are pushed to the wall what people will hear will be something else”.
Answering question on whether reconciliation is a lost cause for the PDP the Governor said; “In every warfare there are stages. Let’s get to the bridge and we will cross it. But we are not going to back down. When I ask questions to some of the people who come to talk to me they run away”.
He added; “They are not serious, there is nothing so difficult we are asking, just let us do things the way the party has been doing it. There is no improvement in the relationship. They are playing games, but they are not the only ones who can play games”.
Justifying his recent appointment of thousands of political advisers, the governor said the jobs were given to qualified Rivers citizens and that the people are happy for the opportunity of a means of livelihood.
He explained that the employments were for political purposes and that since the people were happy with what he was doing, he would increase the appointments to a hundred thousand in the days ahead.
“They are political appointees and we will increase it to one hundred thousand. Our people are happy, others can interprete the move anyhow they pleased.
Wike also defended the imposition of N5-million on political parties for the use of public schools and facilities for campaigns saying no political party was exempt from the payment adding that the fact that no government in the past did it did not mean that he could not do so now.
“In this country because something was not done yesterday does not mean it cannot be done today, or it can be done tomorrow. We suffered so much in 2019, we cannot allow that to happen again. If you want to use any facility go and apply to the Ministry of Education”, the governor stated.
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