Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike said their is a need for the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to immediately suspend former Governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu for working against re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Aliyu had recently claimed he conspired with others to ensure that Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election.
According to him, “If I was the leadership of the party I would have suspended Aliyu for that comment he made. But, you see, nothing will happen. The National Working Committee will not do anything. Why? They need Aliyu to support them.
“I cannot understand why you are a leader, so to speak, you come out and tell the world why you fought your party. I have never seen a thing like that in my life.
READ aLSO: PDP Debunks Purported Suspension Of Kwankwaso, Babangida Aliyu
“If I was the leader of the party, I would have suspended Aliyu and heaven will not fall. What does he want to achieve? This was 2015, we have done the 2019 election. Jonathan had lost in 2015, why do you come out now to say how you fought him. Look at where we are today. So, you are telling us you made us be in this position where we are.
“You are telling Nigerians that you are one of those who kept Nigeria in this state? And then the National Working Committee will not do anything because Aliyu Babangida is one of the untouchables?”
Wike stated that as a leading opposition party in Nigeria, the PDP could not afford to accept acts of gross indiscipline and impunity, because it might undermine its chances to wrest power from the APC in 2023.
He said it was heart-breaking to hear that while himself and others were campaigning for the PDP to win the 2015 general elections, the likes of Aliyu who ran for the Senate in the same general election, had hatched and executed a scheme to undermine the party.
“I sat back here as State governor, I suffered, I struggled and campaigned for my State to produce the highest vote for PDP and somebody sat somewhere and he is boasting how they fought Jonathan and you want me to be happy? You have even insulted the people of the South-South,” he added,
The governor demanded that Aliyu, who is a member of the Board of Trustee of the PDP should offer an unreserved apology to the party that provided him a platform to serve as two-term Governor of Niger State.
Wike observed that the PDP, as an opposition party had not been forceful in its attack on the policies of the ruling APC.
He emphasised that the business of any major opposition like the PDP was to bring to the fore inhumane policies of the ruling party before the public on daily basis and spur the people to vote out the government.
“I am not here to help APC. It is not my duty. My duty is to make sure APC fails. Because if I help them to win, then I (PDP) can’t take over government. So the business of my party is not to help them but to make sure they leave,” he said.
