2023: Concern about Wike’s “defection plot” grows among the PDP.

The debates that followed the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential primaries haven’t subsided after more than two months.

Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, who lost to Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president, in the primary elections, is at the heart of the controversy.

Wike, a first-time candidate for president, received 237 votes, but it was insufficient to defeat Atiku Abubakar, who received 371 of the 746 valid votes.

Aminu Tambuwal, a longtime ally of Wike’s, abruptly withdrew in favor of Atiku Abubakar, which was thought to have diminished the governor of Rivers State’s prospects of attending the convention.

Gov. Wike had promised to back whomever won the primaries when he spoke to delegates at the convention.

According to him, “today, anyone who emerges here, I would support the person to the fullest because I’m a dedicated party person, because I love this party, because I’ve been in this party since 1998.

“This is my party, and I will work for it,” someone said.

Wike looks to have broken his convention vow in light of the most recent PDP issue.

The situation became worse when the PDP presidential candidate passed over Wike and selected Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State, as his running mate.

Atiku gave an explanation of the factors that went into selecting Okowa as his running partner during an interview with Arise TV.

He said he picked someone he thought he could “operate with cordially” and who could “deliver”.

Atiku’s remarks seemed to have done more damage than good, which prompted Governor Wike to lash out when he arrived from Spain at the Port Harcourt International Airport, accusing Atiku of uttering “falsehoods” during the interview.

Gov. Wike had a lot of visits at his residence in Port Harcourt since he was unsuccessful in earning the PDP’s presidential ticket and vice presidential candidate, including governors from the governing All Progressives Congress.

This has increased rumors that he would be leaving the PDP.

Again, his apparent closeness to Bola Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate, has sparked speculation that he may ultimately strive to support Tinubu’s win against the nominee of his own party.

In a recent outburst, Lee Meaba, a former ally of Gov. Wike and senator for Rivers South East, attacked Wike for assembling the bulk of “Tinubu men” for project commissioning in the midst of elections.

Meaba questioned why Tinubu’s soldiers were being lined up in the heart of our campaign. You are praising APC and Tinubu throughout our campaign rather than our own candidate.

At the opening of the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt on Friday, Governor Wike bragged about his ability to succeed in any political party.

He said, “YPP anyplace I will perform, take me to the Labour Party.”

The event’s main guest of honor, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, spoke during which he invited the Governor to join the APC by using language that some would have interpreted as “pregnant.”

The Speaker said, “In politics, there is only permanent interest; there is neither a permanent friend nor an adversary.

And this trip you have begun, which you and I both know, will be ongoing.

At the conclusion of his remarks, the Speaker reaffirmed his prior appeals and even persuaded Rivers State House of Assembly members to support Governor Wike when he takes the decision.

I congratulate the Speaker, Right Honorable Ibani, and all of the Rivers State House of Assembly members,” he remarked.

“I think the State Assembly members will follow the governor to where he is going to go when he ultimately chokes them.

“Your Excellency, we gladly anticipate your arrival. Do not allow anybody to frighten you; you will tell them when the moment is right.

Olusegun Mimiko, a former governor of Ondo State, seemed to be pleading with Governor Wike not to quit the party on Wednesday during the flag-off of the Illoabuchi-Azikiwe road construction.

All well-meaning Nigerians are aware of the urgent need for national unity in order to successfully address our security and economic crises, he said.

“Your Excellency, our party, the PDP, a party for which you have worked tirelessly since, is charged with the historical duty of forging this unity, a unity based on truth, equality, and justice, a unity upon which Nigeria will be rescued from the subpar performance of the APC’s seven years in power. It is a task that has to be finished. a mission in which you have been favorably and particularly positioned to play a significant role.

“You have unquestionably served the PDP well, and I can promise you that the majority of PDP leadership and members are aware of your value.”

Gov. Wike’s remarks upon his returning from Spain prompted the PDP’s leadership to arrange a meeting between him and Atiku in Abuja.

A reconciliation committee was then established between the two sides to look for solutions to the problems.

The removal of Iyorcha Ayu as the party’s national chairman is one of the criteria laid down by Governor Wike’s camp for peace to prevail, according to DAILY POST. A PDP leader who is a supporter of Gov. Wike, Bouch Nsirim, however, denied this information as an allegation.

“It is extremely essential to say clearly that Governor Nyesom Wike has not instructed anyone that he wants the National Chairman of the party to quit, these are insinuations from various quarters,” Nsirim stated in a statement to DAILYPOST.

The peace talks looked to have hit a snag a few days after Atiku and Wike’s meeting when Senator Lee Meaba, a supporter of the former vice president, said that Wike had prevented them from campaigning for Atiku in Rivers State.

Similar to this, there have been indications that the Atiku campaign may forego the Rivers State governor during the election based on body language.

Bouch Nsirim, however, is of the opinion that Governor Wike is indispensable to the PDP.

“Anyone who is in the political scene would realize that the governor is an essential component of the PDP,” he said.

“The work he has put in to make sure the party survives is obviously visible.

He is a significant participant and influence in the current politics of Nigeria.

“Like I’ve told everyone who cares to know, toying with Governor Nyesom Wike is gambling with the votes of the Rivers people,” the speaker said.

When asked what the governor wanted to bring about peace inside the party, Nsirim said, “What the governor wants is mutual respect.

“You know that aside from being the governor of this State and taking part in the recently concluded primaries, the efforts he made to ensure that the party survived is one that no one can jettison, so for me, I think what is ideal is for the presidential candidate to meet with him and sort out whatever issues there may be,” the presidential candidate said.

It seems the peace negotiations may have stalled based on Governor Wike’s tone during the commissioning of the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt on Friday.

The most recent circumstances have given rise to greater speculation that Gov. Wike may be trying to help Bola Tinubu, the APC’s nominee, win. This is particularly true in light of the brief remarks he may have made inadvertently during his address on Friday.

Even the electorates, he claimed, were being misled. “Muslim to Muslim, Christian to Muslim, native doctor to native doctor, is that now our issue?

Perhaps the governor suddenly realized his error and said, “We shall speak politics when the moment is right.”