Chieftains of Nigeria’s largest opposition party, PDP, have attacked the FCT minister Nyesom Wike’s recent threats against party governors in support of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
PDP leaders emphasized that no single individual has the authority to end the party’s existence.
The reaction followed Wike’s threat to destroy the states of PDP governors who supported Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara over their purported disagreement.
Some senior members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have challenged Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), claiming that he cannot demolish the party.
Wike, while speaking at the party’s state congress in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, on Saturday, August 31, urged PDP governors to keep out of the party’s affairs in Rivers, threatening to “put fire in their states.”
The minister had reacted after the PDP Governors’ Forum, chaired by Bala Mohammed, called for a review of the party congress results to reinstate Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s leadership at their convention in Taraba state on August 23.
PDP chieftain says the party remains unshaken.
In response, PDP deputy national publicity secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi stated that Wike’s remarks presented no threat to the party, which he claimed had faced more serious challenges for over 25 years.
“Those were his entitled personal opinions at most. They don’t constitute threats to the PDP. No single individual has the capacity to terminate the life of this party, PDP,” Abdullahi said
The PDP’s Osun state branch while reacting urged Wike on Sunday to confront his job as FCT minister and cease “threatening” those who support Fubara.
The director of media and publicity for the Osun PDP, Oladele Olabamiji, condemned Wike’s statement describing it as dangerous and irresponsible.
Following Wike’s comments, Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Gbara, urged security authorities to invite him for questioning.
The former publicity secretary of the PDP in Rivers state, Gbara said: “Well I feel that as an elder statesman, nobody will expect that he will make such utterances.”