The governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party platform on Tuesday condemned Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike for threatening to destabilize their states for supporting Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The PDP Governors’ Forum’s director general, Emmanuel Agbo, released a statement on Tuesday that contained the governors’ response.
The PDP governors have met and reaffirmed their support for Fubara, the estranged political godson of Wike’s predecessor, amidst the ongoing political struggle between the two. Fubara is demanding that he take over the Rivers PDP
Displeased by the governors’ intervention, Wike, speaking last weekend in Port Harcourt, warned the governors to stay out of the Rivers issues, warning that he could orchestrate crisis in their states if they would not desist
However, the PDP governors responded to him on Tuesday by labeling Wike’s threat “empty” in a statement released by Agbo.
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The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, headed by H.E. Senator Bala Abdulkarim Mohamed (CON), the governor of Bauchi State, and all of the member governors, have taken notice of a widely circulated press release in which the former governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, H.E. Barrister Nyesom Wike.
Wike made aggressive and threatening comments with regard to the governors of the forum and observed the grave worries expressed in public regarding the peaceful coexistence within our party.
Ehe ex-Governor statements and threats to peace and to ‘put fire’ in the states under PDP control are reckless and irresponsible.””Efforts to establish and uphold peace, cohesion, collaboration, and mutual respect among leaders and party members are undermined by Wike’s reckless, unrestrained, and completely unacceptable statements and threats to peaceful coexistence made in the PDP-controlled states to ‘put fire’.
The fact that this is coming from a former governor who was a part of this esteemed forum is regrettable. The PDP governors maintained their support for Fubara to take charge as the PDP leader in Rivers, noting that Wike enjoyed the same privilege when he was governor.
We maintain that our position on the affairs of the PDP in Rivers State, as unanimously resolved at our 3rd and 4th 2024 Meetings held in Enugu and Taraba states, respectively are not subject to review by any individual no matter how highly-placed.
We wish to be explicit that the forum’s position is not personal nor does it, by any way, undermine the significance of any party stakeholder. Rather, as ardent supporters of their party, the forum’s members are firm in keeping to the faultless procedure intended to maintain law and order, remove rival structures of backing illustrated by what is happening in Rivers State, and prevent the governor from being distracted from carrying out his duties.
In order to make sure that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara receives all the benefits to which he is entitled as a governor elected on the party platform, the governors said that they were “irrevocably committed” to cooperating with the National Working Committee of the party.
“Similarly, if indeed the larger interests of Rivers State is their individual motivation, the warring parties should allow themselves to be guided by a spirit of give and take and eschewing, at all times, the incendiary posturing that inflames passions among their followers.
“It is inevitable for us to encourage dialogue and reconciliation continuously. The PDP has established mechanisms for addressing grievances and resolving conflicts, such as the recently constituted disciplinary and reconciliation committees; thus it is important for Wike to engage with these processes constructively, as dialogue and reconciliation are the pathways to resolving differences and strengthening the party.”
In order to “ensure that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is conferred with all the privileges he is entitled to as a governor elected on the platform of our party, both at the state and national levels,” the governors declared their “irrevocable commitment” to working with the National Working Committee of the party.
They highlighted the significance of the NWC to behave responsibly in order to resolve Rivers State’s political impasse. It is vital that all party members, including Wike, work toward common goals rather than pursuing personal grudges,” it continued.
The forum believes that in order to find a cooperative resolution to the dispute, the PDP’s National Working Committee must make use of both official and informal good offices platforms.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Kaduna State PDP, Hassan Hyat, has cautioned Wike against destroying the party he helped to build.
Hyat, a former Minister of Aviation, made the appeal in an interview with our correspondent in Kaduna on Tuesday, stating that Wike’s threat to PDP governors was “strange and unhelpful.”
“Wike should remember that when he was a governor, his colleagues always had his back and protected each other. Nothing has changed in that regard. Instead of telling governors to stay away, Wike should have seen it from this perspective and sought their support.
“I strongly believe it’s wrong to tell people to stay away when a system they are meant to benefit from is under threat. If the system fails, everyone loses. I don’t think it is right to say or do something that could lead to such an outcome,” Hyat said.
