***Says, ambition of Wike, Atiku to be president will kill the party

Elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark has has advised the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peolples Democratic Party (PDP) to be courageous enough to set up a Disciplinary Committee to investigate the anti-party activities, particularly the roles played by some members which led to the failure of the PDP in the 2023 elections.

This was contained in a statement by chief Edwin Clark as the National Working Committee of the PDP meets with a poser – PDP: To be or not to be?
This was as he observed that the inordinate ambition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Barr, Nyesom Wike, to be president of the country, will kill the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Clark pointed out that the duo seem to prefer to use their personal funds to establish their leadership, not because of their love for the party.
He therefore in a clarion call urged the stakeholders of the party to wake up and stand their ground against the onslaught.

He also urged the NWC to dissolve the existing National Executive Council (NEC) of the party for their anti-party activities
The leader of the Ijaw Nation also admonished the NWC to appoint an Acting National Chairman in accordance with the Constitution of the party.
“This was what happened during the tenure of Uche Secondus, who was still in court, when the party appointed another Acting National Chairman
“The party should immediately revisit the on-line registration of its members as it was initiated by the then National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, to save the party from depending on individuals, because as they say, he who pays the piper, dictates the tune.
“It is true that for some time the party had no funds, particularly the time between Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff. Nyesom Wike was the only Governor who financially supported the party.
“Again, in his usual manner, he insulted and humiliated the party. He dared them not to hold the party convention in Port Harcourt. The party kowtowed to him.
“Even after that, he continued to harass and intimidate the party. For instance, he sponsored Uche Secondus to be the national chairman of the party against the wishes of most other members. “The same Barr. Wike later on instigated and sponsored the removal of Uche Secondus, two months before the party’s National Convention.
“Barr. Wike’s engagement in brash politics seems to be affecting members of the party including the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum and the National Secretary, who take instructions from Barr. Wike.
“Hence, the sixty members on the platform of the party in the House of Representatives, are calling for the resignation and or removal of the Acting National Chairman.

“Rumours have it that Atiku is already preparing for the 2027 presidential election. If this is allowed, PDP will collapse as the second principal party in the country today.
“While no one is contesting his right of contesting or indicating interest for the presidency of the country as many times as he wishes, which as the last count is up to five times, he should also know that fair play is the bedrock of the game.
“Another person that also seems to be holding or going for the jugular of the PDP, is Barr. Nyesom Wike. Honestly, I lack words to describe his actions. “The nearest description I can give for his actions is political androgynous, he is neither in PDP or APC. He seems simply acquisitive, and the greatest enemy of PDP, manipulating it, with an intent of destroying it.
Most of us supported Barr.
“Wike in his agitation against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. But he has gone too far in causing tragedy in PDP.
“His anti party activities must be dealt with decisively, by setting up a strong disciplinary committee made up a strong people with resilience to resist pecuniary gains, who are courageous to investigate his activities, and that of any other person/persons suspected to engage in anti-party activities.

“The seeming contest for the soul of the PDP between himself and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is not only ridiculous but a negation of the ideals for founding the party.

“Even though Nyesom Wike, had a good case considering what transpired during the last presidential primary election of the PDP, he has crossed the red line. Today, he is dancing naked in the market.
“He regards himself as the leader of both the PDP and APC in Rivers State, and that is why I described him as someone who can be referred as a political androgynous; an acquisitive person.

“Wike used his influence on APC National Chairman, Alhaji Umar Ganduje, to set up a caretaker committee of the party in Rivers State under the leadership of Mr. Tony Okocha, a position he, Mr. Okocha, sees as an opportunity to deride, harass and attempt to humiliate an elected Executive Governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara.

“The story is the same in PDP in the State; where Barr. Wike recently removed the State Chairman, and recommended him for a federal appointment. Now, with his control of PDP and APC in Rivers State, he has appointed some APC members as caretaker committee members of the party in Rivers State.
“Is Nyesom Wike only waiting for the appropriate time to destroy the PDP and become a full fledge member of the APC?
“It is alleged that it is the same Barr. Wike who sponsored the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, to defect from the PDP to the APC, using the National Secretary of the Party, who was in court as the reason and that PDP has split.
“Even though these members in accordance with constitutional provisions have lost their seats in the House as a result of their defection to another party when there was no crisis in the party on which platform they were elected, Wike is retaining them with the support of Mr President, to the extent of threatening to impeach the Executive Governor, Siminalaye Fubara.

Ahead of the party’s National Executive Committee meeting, scheduled to take place on Thursday, the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesome Wike attended the PDP’s national caucus meeting on Wednesday.
Since after the presidential election last year, this is the first time that the former Rivers state governor will be attending a meeting of the PDP.
Mr Wike has been at loggerheads with the PDP leadership and did not support the party’s choice of Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for last year’s election.

Apart from his opposition to Mr Atiku’s campaign in the election, the decision of Mr Wike to accept a ministerial role in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress had worsened the rift between him and key stakeholders in the party.

This caucus meeting is one of a series of meetings by members of the PDP, ahead of the NEC meeting, where critical decisions regarding the leadership of the party and other issues that have threatened the party’s unity will be discussed.

***Accuses President of running a ‘Lagos-Boys’ Government

Fiery All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain, Garus Gololo has described the federal government’s tariff and tax increase economic policies as having the trappings of capitalism in President Bola Tinubu who doesn’t care about the welfare of Nigerians.
Speaking to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, he accused the President of not living up to his “Renewed Hope” promise to the country as he insisted the government was insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
According to him, he is waiting to see what the APC will use to campaign in 2027, maintaining that he was convinced Nigerians will not give the party another chance.
“If you want to choose from the people, watch the person’s track records. Is he for the masses? We have Senators, we have House of Reps members 366, we aren’t supposed to have poverty in Nigeria.
“Under the present economy you want to buy a bottle of water which used to be N100 but now it is N400. How do you want to solve the problem? Where do you want to start from fixing this economy?
“If you go to the market where you want to buy salad they will tell you Dollar. If you want to buy maize or Guinea Corn they hinge the price on Dollar. The bag of Guinea Corn I bought yesterday was N70000. What concerns Guinea corn with the Dollar, did we import it from the US?
“From the time we returned to democracy in 1999, let me just take it from Obasanjo, before he became president, a bag of guinea corn and Maize was N300, it increased to N500 and later to N1500. After Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yaradua who was ready for the masses, he did not stay long if not God would have used him to liberate us from where we are today.
“When Yaradua came on board he returned the price to N1000. After Jonathan took over the price went up to N2500 and later N5000. When Buhari took over it moved from N5000 to N15000. Before the end of Buhari’s tenure it was N25000. As I speak it has moved from N25000 to N75000.
“Rice N80000, sugar that we used to buy and give out during fasting, this year I could not give anybody sugar because sugar is N80000 per bag. Ordinary sugar. If you go to many shops today you can not see sugar to buy.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu told us about renewed hope. Pump price of fuel he jacked it from N180 to N640. We don’t need this hope, the renewed hope is zero.”
This is as he revealed an upcoming merger that would create a political party which would wrestle power from the governing party in the next election.
He explained, “As far as I am concerned our votes in Nigeria have become our Albatros. As the masses vote and forget about it. We masses will come back and forget about the Muslim-Muslim ticket. The religious colouration is a lie, they are only doing it for their families.
“Look at the appointments. All the appointments Buhari made were skewed in favour of the North but when Tinubu came all his appointments are from Lagos.”
The APC chieftain also accused President Tinubu of running a ‘Lagos-boys’ government in which “All where money is coming from is Lagos only. Does it mean only Lagos that voted him, where he lost woefully to the Labour Party? So you can see the one sided game.
“Buhari gave appointments to Northerners from different States but in Tinubu’s case they are from only Lagos State. He did not appoint people from Ogun State, Ondo State, Osun but only Lagos, so it is a Lagos boys affair and people who served him as commissioners in Lagos almost all of them were appointed including the present MD for NIMASA, he served him as Commissioner. Even the former Governor of Osun State was a Commissioner under him, he is his brother who he has made the minister for Blue Economy.
“So there is a bloated cabinet of 45 ministers doing nothing. All key positions where money is he put Lagos boys. His government has become a Lagos show.”
Continuing, the former military officer turned politician kicked against the federal government’s student loan programme, insisting that many Nigerians will not benefit from it, he added that “the money will end up being siphoned.”
On opposition political parties, he said, “Another thing we should understand is that Nigeria no longer have opposition, the only opposition we had before was PDP, who is even campaigning for the PDP now. Atiku has been fighting for himself not for Nigerians.
“The Labour Party whom we were thinking would pull a string, the chairman of the Party now wants to inherit it as a permanent chairman.
“After he finished his tenure he is imposing himself on the people by hook or crook. If they have accused you, why not resign so that the party can make headway. The other Party AA, Sowore who is the owner of Sahara Reporters is only a Television Presidential candidate.
“The other day he was saying they should arrest Malami, Buhari. Do your campaign, Buhari is gone. Campaign against the present government so that we know you are a real opposition. Look at the Senegal President, the guy came from Prison and he won the presidency because he was a true opposition, he went to prison, came out and he was imprisoned again.
“In Nigeria we don’t have opposition, the only opposition is to fight for themselves and their family.”
Gololo bemoaned prevailing economic hardship arising from government’s policies as he stressed that, “Formerly in Abuja you see people raising structures. People can take up menial jobs of carrying blocks but as of the present cement is expensive, the sand is expensive so people are not building.”