Veteran journalist and Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Director of Communications in the February 25 presidential election, Dele Momodu, has told the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that he is not the owner of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and, therefore, can be disciplined if any infraction is established against him.
Relatedly, PDP told Nigerians on Thursday, as it marked its 25th anniversary, that they should not succumb to hopelessness under the prevailing situation in the country. PDP said citizens should remain optimistic in the hope that their democratic mandate would ultimately triumph.
Describing some of the views shared by Wike in a recent interview as “arrogant lies”, Momodu, in a statement, raised silent questions that required a response from the minister. He said Wike was economical with the truth as to when he realised that the presidential ticket should go to the south.
Momodu asked Wike whether it was when Atiku Abubakar rejected his aspiration to be nominated the vice-presidential candidate that he became an apostle of a southern presidency. He advised Wike not to push his luck too far, as he was not above discipline by the 25-year-old PDP, of which he was not a founding father.
“After watching this interview last night, I immediately called Mr Seun Okinbaloye of the Channels TV, and told him I wished I was in Nigeria and would have come to respond to the many arrogant lies he allowed Minister Nyesom Wike to get away with,” Momodu said.
The former communications director further asked, “When did Wike become the sole owner of PDP that he cannot be disciplined by a 25-year-old political party? It would have been nice to know if he founded the party or when he acquired majority shares in it since he now has more money than Aliko Dangote.”
Momodu challenged Wike to quote the portion of the PDP constitution that stated that power must come to the south.
He stated regarding Wike, “He should tell the world the chairman of the zoning committee that threw the contest open to all zones of the party and why he agreed to buy the presidential nomination form.”
Momodu wondered, “When did Wike become the champion of the south?
“Was it after his bid to be Vice President to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was rejected or after requests to handpick the juiciest ministerial portfolios, like the one he got from Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, were rebuffed? Would he have continued to flagrantly badmouth Alhaji Atiku Abubakar if he had selected him as his running mate?”
The veteran journalist said Wike and four other governors were parading themselves as G5 while frolicking from Nigeria to Europe and back, saying, “Three of them from Benue, Enugu and Abia lost their senatorial bids, spectacularly and resoundingly.
“Seun should have asked Wike, where are the other ‘suicide bombers’ today? Gone with the wind. The G-5 was always about one man’s ego and ambition. Wike claimed, contentiously, that he delivered Rivers State to Tinubu, only one state out of six in the South-south region. Was that enough to justify all this grandiloquent vituperation by Nigeria’s co-president, Wike?
“His three acolytes couldn’t deliver and they’ve since been abandoned in the lurch!! What happened to their regular joint press conferences?”
Momodu alleged that Wike claimed all PDP governors sent ministerial nominations to Tinubu, but said, “He should tell us how many of them were eventually approved, except the one he handpicked from a neighbouring state. Wike forgot to recommend any member of the G-5. No nominee of Governor Seyi Makinde was visible on the ministerial list.”
PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said in essence, outlook and operation, PDP remained the only broad-based, all-embracing pan-Nigerian political party birthed on the principles of national unity, freedom, social justice, development and overall wellbeing of citizens.
It said the party had over the years stood steadfast to its democratic ideology of good governance and citizens’ participation in political leadership.
That statement said, “Today, the PDP celebrates the resilience of Nigerians in the democratic process and, particularly, the founding leaders and teeming members of our party for their sacrificial roles in returning, nurturing and sustaining democracy in our country.
“The belief that power resides with the people is at the core of PDP’s sustained focus on guaranteeing the rule of law, adherence to the principle of separation of powers, personal freedom of citizens, a free press, credible electoral process, liberalisation of the economy, vast infrastructural development, massive employment, and business opportunities, among other initiatives that made the PDP years in government the Nigerian Golden Years.”
PDP listed its achievements in the last 25 years, against those of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC). It urged Nigerians not to lose confidence in the nation but remain hopeful, as the party continued to lead the charge for a country where the will of the people would prevail.
PDP appreciated the support, solidarity and love by Nigerians over the years and assured them of its continued commitment to the principles of democracy and positive engagement of citizens in the cause of nation building.