Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, has called Nyesom Wike’s unwillingness to defect from the party a cowardly move.
Nwobu told reporters in Awka on Thursday that it was illogical for Wike to publicly support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration while claiming to be a PDP member.
Despite his open support for the Tinubu administration, he said that Wike had the guts to formally defect by joining the ruling All Progressives Congress, or APC.
He said, “If Wike were man enough, he would go and obtain an APC membership card. I am convinced he is a coward for insisting he is still a PDP member while backing President Tinubu. What kind of contradiction is that? You can’t claim loyalty to one party while promoting the interest of another. That is not how political integrity works,” Nwobu said.
He added that Wike had an excessive amount of power over the PDP while he was governor, serving as the party’s alias and choosing who would be appointed to important posts.
He went on to say that because of Wike’s lasting influence, the party has found it challenging to discipline him because many of his supporters continue to hold important positions and serve as a buffer.
“Back then, Wike did everything as if he was helping the party, but it’s now clear he had ulterior motives. He planted loyalists across the party structure, particularly in the National Working Committee, NWC. He acted as though he was defending the party’s interests, but he was laying the groundwork for his personal political ambition,”
“While he was pretending to work for the party, he was actually entrenching himself. Most of the former NWC members owed their positions to him, from the national chairman to the secretary. Even now, he still sustains their loyalty through financial inducement, which is why it’s been difficult to confront the matter head-on,” Nwobu said.
He however, pointed out that attempts have already been made to reclaim the PDP from Wike’s hold.
Nwobu disclosed that the PDPs National Executive Council will have a meeting in May to ratify the choices made by the NWC. A national convention will then take place, where it is anticipated that new leadership will be revealed.
“We’ve already dealt with the national secretary, and he’s out. Others will follow. The national secretary position is critical in any party, and removing his loyalists from such strategic offices will help restore integrity to the PDP,”
“With the emergence of a new leadership, the political colouration that has held the party hostage will be eliminated. Wike’s undue influence will finally be rooted out,” he added.
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