Adesola Sulaimon
A former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Sam Ohuabunwa has defended Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s insistence on the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the party National Chairman.

Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, Ohuabunwa stated that Wike’s cause is only for justice and fairness, not a bid to sabotage the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Wike had been at the forefront of calls for Ayu’s resignation as the latter had promised to step down from the position should the presidential candidate emerge from the Northern part of the country.

However, Ayu reneged on the promise, stating that he would complete the four-year term he was appointed for, despite the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, being from the North.

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Defending Wike, Ohuabunwa stated that the Rivers Governor was only seeking to “correct the wrong within the party and would never do anything to destablize the party.”

“The truth is that Mr Wike is not crying wolf. He is demanding justice. He is demanding equity. And that is right for him to do,” the PDP chieftain said.

He stated further that the reason the party members have been trying to appease Wike is because he had “moral right in the matter”, adding that the PDP strongly understood that he had been wronged.

Ohuabunwa, however, expressed optimism that the issue would soon be settled amicably between both Wike and Atiku, while dismissing claims that the the governor might defect due to the crisis.

“I don’t think Mr Wike is impossible to deal with. He has shown that he is a team player when the team is a reasonable team.

“I think that the party has finally come to understand the enormity of the crisis. The party seems to have woken up to the need not to allow this internal disagreement become a major albatross to its chances of winning elections,” he said.