PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
In a bid to douse political tension, the spokesperson of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Management Council, Sen. Dino Melaye, says Rivers Governor Nyesome Wike’s recent outbursts are frivolous and nonsensical.
“Wike’s statements are frivolous and did not make common sense,” Melaye said, pointing out that the statements made against some prominent members of the party were out of anger.
“The recent statements by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State against some prominent members of the PDP, including our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is frivolous.
“I want to start by saying that we don’t react to frivolities. We are not going to react to the statement made out of anger. We are not going to respond to what he said,” Melaye said while fielding questions on the Arise TV Morning Show programme on Monday.
Persecondnews recalls that Wike had on Friday, September 23, “opened up” on the events that led to the disagreement between him and the leadership of the party in an interview with journalist in Port Harcourt which was broadcast live on TVC and other channels.
The governor accused the Chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, of planting the seed of discord in party.
He also blamed the lingering crisis within the PDP on the failure of the party to zone its presidential ticket to the Southern region of the country, adding that Ayu played a vital role which was detrimental to other aspirants in the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as PDP flagbearer.
He accused Ayu of being manipulative, alleging that Ayu called several presidential aspirants to step down for the former vice president during the convention.
Persecondnews reports that Wike and Atiku have also been embroiled in a lot of controversies following Atiku’s choice of his running mate, Delta Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, for the 2023 presidential election, and the continued retention of Ayu as chairman.
Melaye also said: “We are just focused on moving with our campaigns and satisfying the quest of Nigerians by building a new Nigeria where justice, equity, and egalitarianism will be the order of the day.
“We are not distracted, and we are not going to be distracted by responding to issues that do not even make common sense. To give spurious statements without evidence is not going to get our attention and reaction.
We are more focused on how Atiku is going to become President. The country is in a situation that needs urgent attention. The country is not only sick but also suffering from a dreadful congenital abnormality, there is need for amelioration and correction, and that is our focus.”
On the withdrawal of Wike and some aggrieved members from the Presidential Campaign Council of the party set to begin on September 28, 2022, Melaye expressed the hope that the issue will be resolved.
“That Governor Wike is aggrieved does not mean that the party is in trouble. There is no time you can have 100 percent compliance from all members of a party.
“Even Governor Wike’s issue is an ongoing issue and in a matter of days ahead it will be resolved, and even the declaration by the Governor Wike group is not absolute because I have spoken to very credible members of the group and they have told me they cannot work against PDP.
“In fact, some of them are already working in their various states for the actualisation of Atiku Abubakar as the next president of the country; so, that statement is not sealed.”
On September 21, Wike and other aggrieved stalwarts of the PDP had announced their pulling out of the Atiku’s campaign council, insisting that they would not support his presidential bid until the party’s chairman, Sen. Ayu vacates his position for an acting Chairman from the South.
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