Timeline Of Wike’s Attacks Against PDP, Atiku

Since Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, emerged as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s Presidential flagbearer, the party has battled crisis over allegations that the north had taken all important positions in the party.

More contentious is the position of the party’s national chairman, which had traditionally gone to another zone outside that of the presidential candidate.

The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who came second to Atiku in the PDP presidential primary, has spearheaded an opposition within the party to ensure a return to tradition.

The outspoken Rivers governor, who is supported by two fellow governors, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Simuel Ortom of Benue among other stakeholders, has given conditions to support the presidential candidate of the party.

Why he is yet to publicly state those conditions, he has repeatedly kicked against the north retaining the position of national chairman.

Wike has attacked the leadership of his party and its presidential candidate several times since July 21, condemning in strongest terms the alleged takeover of the party by a section of the country.

Atiku’s Arise TV Interview Sparks Reaction

Atiku appeared to have stung Wike with the interview he granted Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Thursday 21st July, where he explained why he rejected Wike as his vice-presidential pick.

Atiku gave the impression he could not work with Wike when he said, “I chose who I can work with.”

But Wike did not take it lying down. He replied to Atiku in a press statement signed by Kelvin Ebiri two days later, on July 23rd.

He said, “On Atiku, I will speak soon and Nigerians will know the actual truth of all that has transpired in the PDP in recent times.”

Project Commissioning

Wike’s tirade against the party intensified when he began commissioning projects executed by his administration in Rivers State and invited opposition party leaders instead of members of his own party.

Wike mocked members of his party over his refusal to invite them to the project inauguration in a speech during the inauguration of the newly completed orochiri-wonikwo (waterline junction) flyover in Port Harcourt on August 3rd.

The event was graced by the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is a member of APC.

While speaking at the event, Wike mocked his party by saying, “As they are watching me on tv it is paining them, and I promise them, I’m going to bury them.

“I don’t want to be closed to any government or president that my community will not benefit from.”

August 12

At the commissioning of the Rivers State Legislative Quarters in Port Harcourt by Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Reps, Wike also used the occasion to attack the PDP.

He said while addressing Gbajabiamila, “I did not support you to be speaker. I have no regret not helping your party that time, even now. My business is to make your party uncomfortable. So, … it was at Rivers State lodge in Abuja, where we plotted that you should not go (become speaker)’.

“We plotted but PDP governors sold me out. They supported you, even when we agreed that Femi should not go, Lawan should not go.

“As a party, they went back and supported you. That is why you made Ndudi Elumelu the Minority Leader. We wrote you a letter that it was not what we wanted.”

August 15

During the 74th birthday reception of a former governor of the state, Peter Odili, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Wike also recalled how some of the elders in the state, including George Sekibo and Barry Mpigi, both senators, visited him in March and made a commitment to work with him as well as accept the outcome of the governorship primary in the state.

“They signed the document prepared by O.C.J. Okocha that whoever I will bring, they will abide by it.”

“The lawmakers also urged me to run for president and that in return I will produce a candidate who would succeed me.

“They went to Abuja, that I must not be vice president. I also read on Sunday august 14, when I was in Paris, one of them saying I told him that if they do to me what they did to Dr. Odili, that I will collapse the system.

“They did so because they lost in their bids to secure the Rivers State PDP governorship ticket.”

August 29

Wike while speaking during the Eneka Interan road construction flag-off on Monday August 29th also spoke on the crisis in the party.

He said, “Nothing has happened yet but by the grace of God something will happen. We are not doing anything and people are crying. What about when we do something?

“When I see them crying, e dey sweet me and e dey pain them. I will make them uncomfortable. I’ll give them sleepless nights and at the appropriate time, whatever is required to be done will be done.

“Nobody can threaten me, nobody owns my life. Only God can decide the day I will die. Because you that is threatening me, just be careful because before you know it, you don go!”

September 1

Wike used the occasion of a project launch in Port Harcourt to respond to the PDP national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, who referred to those opposing him as “children” who did not know how the party was formed. Ayu had spoken during an interview on BBC Hausa service

Responding in his usual way, Wike said, “Somebody said, where were you when they founded the party? Because we insisted that the right things must be done. We are boys, we are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine the ingratitude; how people can be ingrates in their lives!

“I thought as chairman of a party who wants to win elections, your business is to bring peace to your party; your business is not to divide your party. Your business is not to show arrogance to your party.

“Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party. The children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman and your actions are not geared towards the party’s victory in 2023, and I promise to assist him in making the PDP fail.”

September 5

When he went to commission the Okezuo flyover in Osisioma Ngwa, Abia State, Governor Wike also attacked the PDP leadership.

He said, “They say Abia(Ikpeazu), Seyi, Wike, Ugwuanyi and Arthur are small boys. But see what the boys are doing. Tell the men to show us what they have done.

“They say Ikpeazu is a boy, why is he a boy? Because he said agreement is agreement. They share to Atiku, they share to Okowa, they share to Saraki, which one did they give you (Ikpeazu)?

“You share secretary to government to the same person, which one have you given to the people of Abia? If they like they should put everything on social media and abuse me, we will know who is relevant at the appropriate time.

“While I was discussing with Ikpeazu on the plane, he said why don’t you leave this thing for God and I answered why are you overworking God? God has given me what it takes to crush these people, crush my enemies.

“Now that I know I have the capacity to flog this small boy, you want me to leave it to God? No, I won’t do that, I’m going to flog them ‘pepperly.’ When we start campaign, we will know who is who.”

September 8

While inaugurating the Emohua Campus of Rivers State University and the flag-off of the staff quarters, Wike revealed that, “Atiku came to my residence on Monday after the presidential primaries and told me that Ayu said if the presidential candidate comes from the north, he will resign by the convention of the party in a meeting held at the house of the governor of plateau with the member of the north central in attendance.

“The presidential candidate said he wanted me to work with them, that Ayu must go, I said why? He answered because when a candidate comes from the north, the chairman will come from the south. Implement what you told me.

“This has nothing to do with Wike but your integrity. I challenge the presidential candidate to deny this. If he denies this, I’ll go further and say so many things, enough is enough.

“If now you cannot keep to an agreement, what will happen then? I will continue to fight this fight; this injustice is enough. They have already taken who will be the senate president, what have they given me, now they want to take our vote.”

Attack On Aliyu Babangida

“There is one empty barrel, one man they call Aliyu Babangida who came out on national tv and said somebody is destroying the party because he didn’t win the party primaries.

“This is the same man who came out on national tv and said the governors from the north agreed to fail Jonathan in 2015. Babangida said so. This is the same man who said today that I am trying to destroy the party because I didn’t win the election, what an insult.

“ I told Nigerians that at the appropriate time I will speak, now that they are coming out, let me be revealing small small the kind of country that we are in.”