The Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing critique on Southern stakeholders within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the fracas over the position of the National Chairman threatens to derail any hope of regaining power ahead of the 2023 elections.
Wike made this call on Friday, during a media interview, at the Government House in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
Earlier, the party announced a delegation of four South-South Governors to appease the Rivers State Governor.
This was contained in a communique issued on Thursday, at the end of the South-South PDP Governors’ Forum meeting which was hosted in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, by Governor Udom Emmanuel.
The governors tasked with the responsibility are Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Godwin Obaseki (Edo).
However, Wike, during the media parley, accused his Southern counterparts of hypocrisy while grovelling at the feet of their masters — alluding to the Northern bloc within the party.
He further insisted on his stance on the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in the interest of fairness for him to work with Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate.
“It will be foolish of me to abdicate the interests of the South and this has nothing to do with Northern domination and most of those supporting Ayu are Southerners who are hypocrites seeking crumbs from their masters.
“Zone the Chairmanship to anywhere in the South but let it be in the region. We are not going to back down.
“Check Section 73C of the party’s constitution. All political and elective offices must be zoned which was why we are clamoring for it. Now we have boxed ourselves into a corner with the two major positions going to the North.
“Why will a party that wants to take over the helm of affairs be lacking integrity which is a crucial part of good leadership? A leader must be a man of integrity. We have a Chairman who has no integrity.”
