A former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to ignore Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Bafarawa said this while addressing journalists on Saturday and blamed the party’s crisis on its leadership.
He stated that it was painful for Wike to be ignored despite his efforts in making sure the party stayed united.
He also called on the national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu to resign if he could not contain the crisis engulfing the party.
The former governor said “This is a very serious issue which nobody can undermine but unfortunately the problem of this crisis is caused by the leadership of the party.
“What I am trying to say is that the candidate (Atiku) is no longer an aspirant. He is a candidate. He is supposed to be controlled by the party.
“So if there is anything and any technical problem arise, it is the duty of the leadership of the party to swing on and solve the problems.
“But in the situation where we are now in, it looks like the leadership is not helping matters to bring the situation down.
“It is the duty of the national chairman to lead even the presidential candidate to go and speak with Wike for whatever decision they have taken, let him be recognized, let them make him a human being.
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“As far as I am concerned, to the best of my knowledge, nobody can undermine Wike in building PDP.
“He was an aspirant, he was number two and he has done everything to help the party to be what it is today. So it is very painful for anybody to abandon him and say to hell with him. Wike is a factor in PDP in Nigeria. Nobody can say to hell with him.
“So with what is happening now, I am not blaming anybody. I am blaming the leadership of the party because they are supposed to swing in and bring the matter down.
“I don’t want the leadership to take it personal. If there is anything between the national leadership of PDP and Wike, it is personal.
“But being the national chairman, he should forget that even if there is any difference between him and Wike, he is supposed to take away his personal interest and come and rescue the party because he is the leader; it is the responsibility given to him.
“If he cannot solve the problem, let him resign. But nobody can undermine Wike and nobody can ignore Wike.
“Wike is a human being. When a mistake is being made and then, when people recognize that they have made a mistake, they seek for him to support, to forgive and to forget.
“I believe Wike can do that but nobody can say to hell with Wike.
“As an incumbent governor with a total number of voters in Rivers state, you cannot ignore them and then as a leader of the party, they are supposed to think of the importance of Rivers itself and the person who is governing the state.”
