Wike prepares for legal battle over dissolution of Ekiti PDP exco

.Dares Ayu to suspend G-5 govs

…Says NWC action tyrannical

BY AMAKA AGBU

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, is set for a legal showdown with the Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the dissolution of the Ekiti State Executive Committee of the party.

Describing the dissolution as an act of tyranny, Wike said he had no choice than to slug it out with the party in court.

The governor, who dared the PDP National Chairman, Ayu to suspend him or any of the G-5 governors, warned that the alleged resort to despotism by the NWC would not do the PDP any good in the forthcoming general elections.

The Rivers State governor made these threats while speaking at the campaign flag-off rally by the State PDP Campaign Council in Bori, Khana Local Government Area weekend.

Governor Wike explained that he would challenge the dissolution of the Ekiti State Working Committee in court because there were still members of the PDP who believed in the rule of law and that the party should respect its constitution.

Wike said: “Let me also use this opportunity to say to Iyorchia Ayu and his team, that dissolving Ekiti State Exco would not help the party in anyway. Your suspending people will not help you in anyway. The battle line has been fully drawn. As I speak to you, we will do everything legally possible to challenge any decision we know is illegal.”

He stressed that the Ayu-led NWC “resort to tyranny will do more damage to the PDP as far as the 2023 general election is concerned.

“So, don’t think you can threaten people by saying so, so persons have been suspended. Rubbish! Completely rubbish. We are above that level that you think you can threaten anybody, intimidate anybody with whatever illegal decision you have taken,” he warned.

The Rivers State governor dared Ayu and his cohorts to extend the “despotic tendencies to the G-5 governors and see if they could withstand the repercussion.

“So, we are waiting for you to announce my own and any other of my friend. Like I have said, when a man says you will not sleep, he too, will he sleep? Will Ayu sleep? Will those his cohorts sleep? So don’t worry, we have the capacity to pay back. We have the capacity to tell you that enough is enough,” he continued.

Governor Wike urged that Rivers State electorate in Khana to vote for the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, as well as all national and legislative candidates in the 2023 general election in order to consolidate on the achievements of his administration.

The governor cautioned people not to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship, Tonye Cole, who, he said, was facing alleged criminal charges for his “obnoxious role in the sale of Rivers State government assets by Chibuike Amaechi led administration.”

Wike stated: “Some people are shameless. A man who colluded with his master to strip Rivers State of its resources, sold our gas turbines which was constructed, installed by Dr. Peter Odili’s administration. It was sold at the cost of $308m. So, we have filed criminal charges against Tonye Cole.”

The governor described Cole’s claim that all the flyovers constructed by his administration were mainly in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor local government areas as hypocritical, since he lived in Port Harcourt.

“Ask him how many flyovers did his boss, the former Minister, do? It shows you he does not know about governance in Rivers State. His mentor told his people that he was going to construct Trans Kalabari road. Did he do it? Today, we are at the verge of commissioning the first phase of the Trans Kalabari road.

“Again, we have agreed with Julius Berger to dualise from Emohua to Tema junction. So, ask him rather than to siphon Rivers state government money, what did they do? What has he contributed to the people of the State? Nothing,” he said.

Governor Wike announced that the State government had awarded contract for the reconstruction of internal roads in Bori in fulfilment of his promise during the recent commissioning of the dualisation of the Bori-Kono Road.

Rivers State PDP governorship candidate, Sir. Siminialayi Fubara, said the PDP government under governor Wike had performed excellently well.

It is on that basis, Fubara stated, that the consolidation team was soliciting votes from the electorate in order to engender continuity and consolidate on the gains made already.

“We are not asking for your votes, for your support without a reason. We are here to ask for your votes because we have performed. Our party has performed, our leader has performed and we are taking up from there. We are not here to say support us because is our own turn, it’s not a business of turn, it’s a business of performance.”

The Director General of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, Felix Obuah, thanked Khana people for coming out in large number to support the new mission of the party which was to deliver Fubara and his consolidation team.

On his part, Hon. Dumnamene Deekor, stated that there were about 259 political units in Khana and the people were ready to vote massively for Fubara and other candidates of the party.

READ ALSO: PDP promises end to insecurity, pains inflicted by APC.

President of KAGOTE, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Deeyaah, said in the last 24 years that democracy had endured, Khana people had continued to support the PDP. He stressed that the people would show their voting strength on election because they trusted the leadership that had been provided to them.

Rivers State Chairman of PDP, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, presented the candidates of the party to the electorate, soliciting votes for them as he handed the party flags to them.

Senator Barinada Mpegi spoke on behalf of the candidates and emphasised that they were proud of the Sakpenwa-Bori-Kono Road that had improved mobility and commerce in the area.