A former governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose, has lent his voice to the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that the presidential flagbearer of the party, Atiku Abubakar, is not against Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Wike has been at the centre of calls for the party’s chairman, Iyiorcha Ayu’s resignation. The feud between the duo has deepened despite the stepping down of Board of Trustees Chairman (Bot), Walid Jibrin. The National Executive Council of the PDP also passed a vote of confidence in Senator Ayu, further infuriating Wike.
But Fayose claimed that the supposed feud between the two was propelled by enemies wanting friction in the party, maintaining that Atiku and Wike are in no way against each other.
“For me, I want to believe his Excellency Atiku Abubakar is not against you but let me say this quickly: A lot of people surrounding the throne are enemies of the throne, and a lot of people surrounding the throne have an issue to grind with somebody or some issues with somebody and they take it to where they are not supposed to take it,” he said during the commissioning of the Obuama Community Secondary School in Rivers State on Friday.
Fayose described Wike as the “soul of the party: and as one instrumental for the party’s growth
“There is no living being within this party and outside this party that will not acknowledge your contribution to this party. You are the soul of this party even till now what you do how many people do it.”
“Let me say: your good works will never go unrewarded. I have found out some things. The people that have benefited from you are the people that have pulled people down; the people you brought up; the people you laboured over for day and night.”
The 61-year-old was optimistic that the crisis within the party will be settled amicably and the objective was to push for victory in the 2023 elections
“I believe the needful will be done because winning an election is all that matters. Wike has not come out to say that Atiku Abubakar is not the presidential candidate.
“I was there the second day after the election when our candidate, the former Vice President, visited the house, the residence of Governor Wike and we had mutual conversations; we were all happy. Everything was in place to move forward. I spoke at that meeting but we don’t want to aggravate this situation,” he said.
“I am only appealing to people that matter. In every political party, there would be groupings. The same family, and different interests but we can do better than we are doing. People around the corridor of power, please allow this candidate to win the election.
“We do not celebrate victory until it is ours. Even in my state, they said that Fayose is Tinubu’s man. Like I said, people were decamping – sitting governors – I did not. Some people believe that you have to destroy your leaders before they can rise.”
Fayose lauded the achievements of Wike saying “the majority of your enemies today are not against you because of anything.
“They are against you because they know you have the capability; they are against you because they know when you take over they will fall apart”.