Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to avoid the party’s structure in Rivers State.
Wike, who attended Rivers PDP congress amidst cheers from hundreds of party faithful, said any governor meddling with the affairs of Rivers PDP would have his hands burnt.
The former governor, whose speech was intermittently interrupted by applause and solidarity chants from the crowd of delegates and other party members, vowed to ignite a political crisis in states with governors dabbling in Rivers PDP affairs.
While issuing the stern warning, Wike assured his camp in the Rivers PDP that nobody would remove the party structures from them.
Wike said he would not give a damn, insisting that any governor trying to hand over the structures of the PDP to Siminalayi Fubara would not sleep well in his state.
He said, “Let me assure all of you, not while we live, anybody will take away the structure of PDP from us. Let me tell people that some governors said they would take away the structure and give it to somebody.
“I pity those governors because I will set fire to their state. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace, and then whatever you see, you take.
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand simply because I heard they got some money, and their heads are so big that you put a hand in my own state.
“Prepare because I can do the same thing in your state. Whether you are from Bauchi, I don’t give a damn.
“Whichever state you come from, as far as I know, if you try to put your hands in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt, and you will never sleep in your state. You will never do governorship again, and you will see a political crisis as far as PDP is concerned.
“I have told them while you have started, when I start, don’t say I am the one that destroyed PDP. Allow Rivers State to conduct the affairs of the party.”
The FCT Minister said they had done their part by electing a governor but had resolved to move forward since Fubara said they were no longer part of his plans.
Wike encouraged the PDP loyalists to liken their governor’s rejection and maltreatment of them to bad business, insisting that not everybody’s business would yield the desired profit.
He said they remained party members and had taken over the party’s affairs, praying that God would help them repeat the 2023 victory in 2027.
Wike’s words, “I assure you, yes, we have done our part by electing a government in the state. If the government says it doesn’t want us, will you kill yourselves?
“We are the party members and have taken over our party. The way we did it, how we did it in 2023, the same God will allow us, support us, and be with us in 2027. Let nobody be intimidated.
“I know how it is when you have worked hard and at the end of the day, you are pushed away; I know how bad you will feel. But again, it is not every business you enter into that you gain profit, so see this one as one of those businesses that you invested in and you lost.
“That will not make you continue to work hard, invest in the future, and make your profit. So, be strong. They said that we were finished, but they were finished. Anywhere you see them, say that they are finished.”
Wike said they were aware that Fubara and his supporters had concluded the arrangement to join the All Peoples Party (APP) and asked them to hasten their defections so that they could face the PDP in the next election.
*State Congress elects Chukwuemeka as Chairman
Meanwhile, the congress produced Chief Aaron Chukwuemeka as the state chairman of the PDP.
The congress was supervised by the representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and led by the state resident electoral commissioner, REC, the representatives of the security agencies, and the party’s national working committee.
