- Says Fubara not making right moves to resolve Rivers crisis
By Shaagee Orkula
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has demanded that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to which he belongs, must zone the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the south.
He warned the PDP against what he described as “the 2023 mistake” of ignoring zoning as spelt out in the constitution of the party.
Wike who spoke at a media parley in Abuja, urged the party to declare the South as the sole eligible zone for 2027 presidential candidacy. He said any other thing would amount to “playing games that could backfire.”
Said Wike:”I told them, look, it is in our Constitution, it is in our tradition, when this (zone) takes Chairman, the other takes Presidential Candidate. But because of their selfish interests, they manipulated the system. They said no, we shouldn’t do zoning now.
“Before we knew, some people have gone to buy form and we laughed. We said okay, you don’t want to do zoning. A zone took Chairman, that same zone took Presidential Candidate, we said ( let’s be fair), for peace to reign so we can have a voice. But they were going back and forth, back and forth.
“We told them, this back and forth you will cost you. They said forget, they have won the election already, who are we? Of course, arrogance came in. See where we are as a party now.
Wike who showed up unexpectedly at the PDP governors and stakeholders meeting in Abuja over the weekend, said, “I told them, where are you zoning your Presidency in 2027? Where will it go? Some smart ones who have interests, said noooo, it’s not yet time. How many times will you play this game and you think you are smart.
“You are going for National Convention, you want the South to come and produce the Chairman so that we won’t have Presidential Candidate from the South.
“Look, in Nigeria today the South is occupying the Presidency, so why not as a party come out today and say our Presidential Candidate for 2027 will come from the South? You don’t want to do that. You want to play the same game you played in 2023, it will backfire and when it backfires, you will say these people did this, these people did that. And I have told people this smartness won’t help you.
“Come out now and let everybody know this is where we are heading to, but playing this old game won’t work. And tomorrow, you say Wike, Wike. Wike is telling you now, stop this your smartness, (but you) will not agree,” Wike said.
In a further development,
Wike yesterday questioned if suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, who visited him in a bid to resolve the political impasse in the oil-rich state, has the political will to achieve peace.
Wike, who is Fubara’s estranged political godfather, said he is keen on achieving peace, but pointed out that for peace to reign in the state, Fubara must meet with aggrieved state assembly members and other leaders in the state.
“The President has said severally that he wants peace so I cannot sit down and say I don’t want peace. Yes, he (Fubara)visited with two governors and an elder statesman. He said he wants peace. I will not (chase) him away because I also want peace. I told him that as a young man, I had advised him go this way and that way, so that he will not have problems.
“People came to him, and said don’t listen to Wike, assert yourself as governor, he agreed with them, now trouble has come.
According to Wike, “People pushed him (Fubara) until they declared a State of Emergency. Now who wears the shoe? It is him. Who will suffer?
“Ok, assuming you don’t settle this problem and the State of Emergency is called off, has the problem ended? No. The House of Assembly will still be the same as they have been, so the crisis will still continue. They will not pass your budget, so you won’t get federal allocation.
Wike stated that if Fubara wants peace, there are people he should meet. “Has he met the Assembly members? Has he met our leaders? If you want peace, it must show, in your speech, in your conduct, and in your action. When you hurt people, it’s not a one-day thing.
“If I didn’t want to encourage him, why will I even open my gate for him to come in. Seeing him talking, I am human, I felt for him. He was saying yesterday that his spirit has left there. How will I know his spirit has left there?
“I am not carried away by public emotion but by reality. After all we see some preachers say they are led by the spirit, and we later find out there was no spirit,” Wike concluded.