I remain an ‘unrepentant’ PDP member — Wike
By Matthew Denis
As there is no respite yet in the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Wednesday beat his chest that he remains an unrepentant member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite insinuations from many quarters that he has dumped the party.
When asked if he is not worried that he may be suspended by the leadership of the party for anti-party activities, Wike dared anyone to try and suspend him from the party, saying the question of his suspension does not arise.
Wike who featured as a guest on Channels Television programme ‘Politics Today’ monitored by Nigerian NewsDirect revealed that he has no regret working for President Bola Tinubu, candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.
He noted that he should be the one wielding the big stick against some leaders of the PDP for violating the constitution of the party by jettisoning the zoning arrangement between the North and South on rotational presidency.
While justifying his decision to take up the ministerial appointment, Wike recalled the case of the late Bola Ige, a chieftain of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) who took up ministerial appointment under former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
“I am a PDP member, unrepentant one. I never hid my intention. As a PDP member, I came out openly to say that I am going to support fairness, equity and justice. I am not here to work for party. I am here to support the president who has confidence in me to help him to deliver the Renewed Hope and I owe nobody any apology. I worked for Ahmed Bola Tinubu to be president of Nigeria.
“In fact, if this people have forgotten history, in the South East and South-South, there was no one state that the president won except Rivers. We came out to say that we are going to support a southerner to be president and I don’t regret it.
“I have not seen that person that will suspend me from PDP with all due respect. I don’t see anybody who will do that. The issue of they will do it does not arise. Who will discipline me? I should be the one calling for the discipline of these people for violating the party constitution. The party said there must be rotation and you violated the constitution of the party,” He explained.
