Ned Nwoko, a former member of the House of Representatives, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to dismiss Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State from the party due to his disagreement with Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate.
Because Wike outspent Atiku and other candidates during the PDP’s presidential primary, Nwoko charged that he was attempting to ruin the party.
If Wike had been chosen as the party’s presidential running partner, the constitutional lawyer questioned if Wike would have waged an opposition campaign against Atiku.
Following his defeat in the PDP’s presidential primary elections, Wike has been at odds with the party’s leadership.
Wike endorsed Atiku as the PDP’s presidential candidate but demanded that Iyorchia Ayu be ousted from her position as the party’s national chairman.
The National Chairman job has been pushed for by Wike and his G-5 group to be filled by a person from the South.
He emphasised that one region cannot produce both the national chairman and the presidential candidate of the PDP.
Nwoko said that Wike should not be permitted to overthrow the previous government and emphasised that the governor was acting in his own self-interest.
A statement by Nwoko reads partly: “Wike is trying to destroy a house we all built. Yes, he was not nominated as presidential candidate of the PDP, he also lost out in his quest to be the vice presidential candidate and we all participated in the whole process.
“It was very transparent; he spent so much money. He outspent virtually everybody else. He did; he out-spent Atiku but the battle was fought and won or lost as the case may be.
“But that is not a reason to pull down his own party. He has taken his vendetta too far.
“The only question I always ask is, what if Wike has been chosen by Atiku and he is campaigning with Atiku as Atiku is doing now, will he in the same bend be asking the national chairman to resign or go?
“He should be expelled. He has done enough damage, there is nothing more Wike can do.”
