From Fred Itua, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party Rescue Mission (PDP-RM), a group made up of loyalists of the leading opposition party across the country, with key members in diaspora, has come down hard on Adamu Waziri, a member of the party’s board of trustees over his recent comment on Nyesom Wike, governor River State, referring to him as a desperate politician.
Waziri, a former Police Affairs Minister, is reported to be against moves by party leaders to reach out to Wike over the ongoing feud over the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s choice of a deputy.
Reacting through its diaspora coordinator, Darlington Okpebholo Ray, PDP-RM described Waziri’s statement about Wike on the matter as “uncomplimentary, reckless and irresponsible.”
The group also called on stakeholders of the party to review the criteria for appointing/selecting people into the BoT of PDP.
“People like Alhaji Waziri from Yobe State have contributed nothing to the party but are always there to fan embers of discord. This happens while other party members work day and night to resolve the crisis rocking the party,” Ray said.
According to him, as Nigeria’s main opposition party, the PDP continues to seek ways to resolve the crisis bedevilling the party over the manner of the May 2022 national convention and the subsequent choosing of its presidential candidate’s running mate, men like Waziri shouldn’t be encouraged to continue to cast aspersions at the person of the Rivers State governor, Wike.
Speaking from his London home, Ray described Waziri as totally unfit to be in the party as the PDP has no place for bigots and trouble makers who contribute nothing to the party.
“When Wike was going around the country begging those who left the party to return and appealing to the aggrieved ones to remain, where was Adamu Waziri”?
“The problem we have in the party today is that people who did not plant want to harvest, and those who were running from the party when it seemed everything was down for the party are now coming out to reap where and what they did not sow,” he went on.
The group further said that a history of Waziri’s foray into politics shows that he is of no relevance in gathering votes for the PDP.
“As the leader of the party in Yobe state, he couldn’t win the state for President Jonathan in 2015.
“Ask him how many votes he gave his Atiku Abubakar in 2019; it’s only 50, 763 which represented 9.08% while Buhari got 497, 914, which amounts to 89.01%.
“Should this be the person to be appointed into the Party BoT, and still wonder why he is making trouble,” Ray asked.
PDP-RM argued further that Wike should be treated with respect considering what the governor was able to accomplish despite the onslaught on him from Buhari in 2019.
“While Buhari got 150, 00p votes in Rivers, despite all the military and brute force used by Rotimi Amaechi, PDP, under Wike’s direction polled 473,971 to deliver the state,” the group said.
