Wike: Ayu, not Jibrin should resign

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has described the resignation of the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Sen. Walid Jibrin, as a charade.

Jibrin, who resigned his position on Thursday, said his resignation was to ensure the victory of the party in the 2023 general election.

However, Governor Wike while speaking at Ahoada on Thursday said the current hierarchy of the PDP leadership was against the constitution of the party.

He said a situation where the North held the presidential ticket and the national chairman position at the same time was a gross injustice to the South.

The governor noted that the current hierarchy of the PDP does not give room for the interest of the South, particularly when decisions were to be taken.

Wike said the PDP national chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, had earlier promised that if the party’s presidential candidate emerge from the North, he would resign after the party convention to give way for a chairman from the South.

He claimed that Ayu made the pledge both in the house of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and at the PDP Senate Caucus meeting.

Governor Wike added that the the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also told him after the convention that Ayu would resign.

He challenged Atiku to implement what he said, adding: “It is nothing to do with Wike; it has to do with integrity.

“This is what he told me; I challenge the presidential candidate to deny this.

“If he denies it, I will go further to say so many things to Nigerians because enough is enough; we can’t continue this way.”

The governor further described as erroneous, the belief in some quarters that he was bent on destroying the party, saying he was only calling for justice and equity.

He added: “We have finished the presidential primaries; it is over. So, when people say you want to destroy the party because you didn’t win primary, I think they’re sick.

“Wike is not causing problem, Wike is bringing peace to this country, Wike is advocating for justice, Wike is advocating for equity, Wike is advocating for development.”

He, however, said he would sustain the fight for a return to healthy party structure to allow for an even representation of the interest of the north and south in the national leadership of the party.

The Star