PDP Crisis Deepens As Wike, Others Vow Not To Back Down

The end to the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not be in sight yet as the governor of Rivers State has vowed that his group; the Southern governors (Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom and Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi) would prove their relevance to the leadership of the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Wike who stated this in Abia State on Monday during a one day official visit to the state to commission some projects including the newly completed Osisioma Interchange and Aba-Owerri road wondered how the leadership of the PDP would sideline the southern governors in the distribution of political leadership and appointments ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“I don’t associate myself with those that cannot show anything. I associate myself with those who have something to offer. I want to say without contradiction or any fear of favour that Ikpeazu is the man that knows what to do for his people and that is why I said that I will be with you anywhere that you are.

“I want to tell the people of Abia that they didn’t make any mistake by electing Ikpeazu as the governor of the state and I believe that the incoming governor of the state will build upon what Ikpeazu has done and is still doing.

“I and Ikpeazu have come a long way. People will not understand the relationship existing between both of us. People think that they will buy the relationship between us with money, that is why when I look at the pages of newspapers to read that some people are making attempts to break my rank, I say that they don’t understand the modus operandi of what we are doing, because if they do, they will not waste their time to go and meet Ikpeazu, Seyi (Makinde), Samuel Ortom, Ugwuanyi.

“The people that they are fighting are those who are projecting their party. They said that Ikpeazu, Wike, Ugwuanyi, Ortom, Makinde are boys.

“But see what the boys are doing. Tell them to show us what they have done as men. They said that we are boys because we told them that they have to abide with the agreement that they have with us.

“They share this one give Atiku. They shared this one give Saraki. They share this one give Okowa, which one did you give to Ikpeazu. What Ikpeazu is saying is that, when you are sharing the position of Senate President, Secretary to the Federal Government, which one have you given to the people of Abia?

“Nobody should bother with any abuses on me. We will soon know who is more relevant than each other at the appropriate time. Politics is not to go on pages of newspapers or buy airtime in broadcast media to talk. Politics is who will deliver at the appropriate time.

“We will know who is important when the jungle matures. We will know those that can stand crisis. We will know those that can face crisis and those who have the capacity to say that this is what our state will do. Ikpeazu is one of the governors that have the capacity to say that this is what his state will do.

“I am worried when I wake up and nothing has been said about me. It makes me happy when I am the subject of discussion in the newspapers and on television. I appeal that they shouldn’t stop. They should continue to talk about Wike.”

Wike who lauded Ikpeazu over the achievements he (Ikpeazu) has been able to achieve in the face of the meager resources from the federal allocation noted that the economic impact of such a project in the state cannot be overemphasized.

Wike while urging Ikpeazu to ensure that he continued with the infrastructural developmental projects until his exit in office, also charged the 2023 gubernatorial flag bearer of the party and his deputy; Prof. Uche Ikonne and Okey Igwe to emulate the footsteps of Ikpeazu to build on his legacies.

Earlier, while welcoming his guest, Gov. Ikpeazu disclosed that his government decided to erect the Osisioma interchange to solve the perennial traffic congestion on the section of Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway which had negatively affected the economic life of the residents and business owners.

According to Ikpeazu the project which was the first of its kind since the 31 years creation of the state was going to increase the cash flow in the commercial city.

He chided those who had mocked the state government over the delay in the completion of the project and warned that anyone that is contesting to run for any office in the state in 2023 should paste his or her projects and avoid defacing the interchange or any other government project(s) in the state.