Olusegun Olanrewaju
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday told those who say that Nigeria is not ripe for a Muslim-Muslim ticket not to also justify and embrace the efforts at retaining the presidency in the North.

Wike said this during a special dedication service for the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 general election campaigns rallies held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt.

The Rivers State Governor maintained that those involved in such double-speak and trying to hoodwink some gullible few, know that they are insulting the sensibility of well-meaning Nigerians who want a united country that advances national cohesion.

“You play on people’s intelligence; you say Nigeria is not ripe for Muslim-Muslim ticket, I agree.

But Nigeria is ripe for the presidency to remain in one zone? I mean, just look at the insult. You blow hot and cold.”

Wike urged those people who delightfully condemn the Muslim-Muslim ticket as wrong, should also know that Nigerians are also saying it is wrong to retain the presidency in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said, “Most of you just sit there, you don’t ask yourselves questions. Somebody continues to sell these kinds of cheap ideas. You don’t ask the person, I agree with what you are saying but look at what we are saying here. He further added, “Your party wants the presidency to go to the same zone where President

Muhammadu Buhari is coming from. Who is cheating who?” The Rivers State Governor, who reminded the
church of the need for it to participate in the voting process, however, said it should not get involved to the extent of serving as cannon fodder against any political party or political actor.

Wike pleaded with the church to be careful and resist those politicians who come to mobilise them as if there is a religious war to wage.

“It is not now that politics have come, you want to come and tell the church a different story for your interest. We have to be careful so that the church is not destroyed. Because, all of us, for example, are Anglicans, I will not allow anybody, for his selfish interest to destroy the church of Nigeria. I will not allow that,” he added.

2023: Nigeria now seriously polarised

Wike warned that his administration would not allow those who in the past instigated wanton destruction of lives and property in the State under the guise of politics to repeat the same.

He appealed to members of the PDP in the state to resist deliberate attempts by some disgruntled and inconsequential politicians to provoke them ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He described as ludicrous and cheap blackmail the allegation by Dr Abiye Sekibo and some of his associates that the state government recently resent thugs to attack them.

“Some people are saying we sent thugs to attack them. You see, when people see failure, they will begin to plan excuses. These are people all of us know our background and how we have won elections in our various local governments.

“I remember one of them during the last election could not even go to his local government. He ran down to Port Harcourt and stayed with me. Instead of you telling your principal, this will be difficult for me, you are giving excuses,” he said.

The governor, who emphatically declared that he has never engaged in any acts of political violence in his political career, warned those who might be planning to plunge the State into
chaos to rethink.

On the issue of Executive Orders 21 and 22, the governor advised politicians in the State to approach the court rather than take the laws into their hands. He insisted that until the court declares otherwise, the government will ensure full implementation of the orders.

In his sermon, the cathedral archdeacon of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Venerable Obinna Ochulor spoke on the topic: “God our refuge” and exhorted the congregation to acknowledge the infallibility of God always.
He pointed to how people often rush to the altar of God to make vows when they are either experiencing critical situations or would refuse to return to fulfil them when they have triumphed.

While vows are important to be fulfilled, he admonished the congregation and particularly the PDP family to trust in God as their defence and shield so that they could enjoy his protection.

*PDP leadership has demonstrated arrogance towards G-5- Ortom

Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has reaffirmed his position that the national leadership of the PDP is failing to take advantage of the challenges within the party to
make it stronger.

Ortom stated this yesterday while briefing journalists after a closed-door meeting at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi with his Sokoto State counterpart, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who visited him at the weekend over the lingering crises in the party.

According to Governor Ortom, the meeting, which was held at the instance of Governor Tambuwal discussed variety of issues bordering on the internal wrangling rocking the party.

Ortom said, “Governor Tambuwal is the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and currently the acting Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation. This
meeting is at his instance.

“We have discussed quite a several issues including the division in the PDP and the G-5, of which I am a member. He is principally here to see how we can team up and work together as
a party.

“I have told him we are members of the PDP and as I have always said, the leadership of this party has failed to take advantage of the challenges of the party and make the party stronger right from when we held our national convention,” Ortom stated.

He went on, “Instead of the party deploying its internal conflict resolution mechanism to look at the grievances that arose as a result of the primaries, no matter how stupid they were, they have failed to do this. Rather it is arrogance and a nonchalant attitude. Nobody cared to reach out to us even when we voiced out that
things were not going on well.

“For me, I commend him (Tambuwal) for taking this step to visit me and we have discussed my opinion on how I think this matter can be resolved and I believe that as a leader and as DG of the campaign, he will do the needful because I am not alone.
“Talking to me alone will not solve the problem, but reaching out to others will be more meaningful. I also believe he will also try to do the needful to put the party together as it is,” he added.

On his part, Tambuwal who is the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council disclosed that he had a fruitful conversation with Governor Ortom who he noted is one of the leaders of the PDP who holds an important position in the affairs of the party.

“We have had time to converse and engage on what is happening in our party. He is the leader as of right in this party. And when you look at his trajectory, his political history, and where he is today, he holds a very important position in the affairs of our party.

“I have said this before that internal party wrangling is normal and what we have been having is not a war of attrition but political disagreement.

Even in our families, we disagree and when you have such disagreements and come back, you even bond stronger and work stronger.

“So it is a work in progress. We have said sev- eral times that we are interested in bringing everybody together, to work together for this party and that is the mission of my being here
in Makurdi.”

Tambuwal further stated that “He (Ortom) is one the principal persons on the issues that we are handling and I have a very useful conversation with him which I will of course engage with the rest of our colleagues and other leaders and see how best we can come back together as one family and work towards making sure that the PDP come out stronger and win the elections of 2023 convincingly.”

Former Benue State governor and senator representing Benue North-East, Gabriel Suswam, accompanied Tambuwal on the visit to Ortom.