Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
A support group for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, known as PDP Frontiers for Change and Progress, has told the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, that “he lacks the moral rectitude to criticise PDP’s Board of Trustees, BoT, Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, for making complimentary remarks about his State Governor, Dr Alex Otti of Abia State.”
The group which was reacting to Wike’s recent media parley where he said that he was surprised that people were not blaming Wabara for campaigning for Gov Otti, but were blaming him for openly supporting President Bola Tinubu.
National Coordinator of the group, Emeka Yellow Ikpegbu, said it was an irony that Wike who is a PDP member, but openly campaigning for a non-PDP President, to find fault in another person who merely commended his Governor for doing well.
“Wike lacks the moral rectitude to criticise Senator Wabara for applauding the developmental strides of his State Governor, when he (Wike), a supposed PDP chieftain, is busy championing the re-election bid of President Ahmed Tinubu, a member of another party,” Ikpegbu fumed.
He asked Wike to rather concentrate on his ministerial duties and stop chasing Wabara about.
The group which accused Wike of disparaging Senator Wabara without justification, told the FCT Minister to show some respect to the former Senate President.
Dismissing Wike’s outburst against Wabara as “mischievous,” Ikpegbu said that no amount of blackmail against the former Senate President would succeed.
“How does Wike see his (Wike’s) support for Tinubu as normal but Wabara’s commendation of a performing Governor of his state as a punishable offense?”
Ikpegbu argued that Wabara’s commendation of Gov. Otti “for fixing the all-important Port Harcourt Road Aba which was neglected by former administration, did not in anyway, amount to campaigning for Otti as misconstrued by Wike and his co-travellers.”
The statement read in part: “Why does Wike who masquerades as an apostle of truth derive pleasure in castigating Senator Wabara for speaking the truth? When has telling the truth become a crime? PDP lost Abia in 2023 because Wike chose not to speak truth to power. Courageous elders like Wabara and few others who spoke out were hated and chastised. Today, we all know better.
“Wike should be told that commending a Governor who achieved a milestone, is mark of statesmanship and not anti-party. Governance should be detached from politics, and Wike cannot feign ignorance of this.”
It further challenged Wike to tackle the various challenges of Abuja residents “instead of engaging in unnecessary media showmanship.”
“Wike should be reminded that performance is not measured by frequency of live media chats but by tangible metrics with positive impacts on residents,” the group said.
“It’s on record that Wike had sometime this year, boasted that if Senator Wabara were to be his father, he would have long disowned him. How can an Honourable Minister be making unguarded utterances and vituperations against an elder statesman and former number three citizen of this country? Politics should not be taken personal.”
The group urged Wabara and other patriotic members of the party “currently engaged in efforts to rebuild the PDP” not to fall for any distractions.
“As BoT Chairman, Senator Wabara and his fellow patriots in the party, have demonstrated their genuine commitment towards rescuing the PDP from the ambushment of political polygamists, and traitors who glory in destroying the house that once sheltered them.
“We are yet to see similar commitments by the likes of Wike who claim to be chieftains of the PDP but are dinning with the APC. These traitors should not think that those using them to destroy PDP will ever trust them for any serious business.
“Those who think the PDP will be destroyed by their treachery should think twice as progressive elements in our great party are firm in their resolve to reposition PDP for victory ahead of 2027.”
