Adebutu says Wike and his colleagues who do not abide by the decision of the PDP are free to leave or form their own party.
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has been advised to man up and leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) instead of remaining in it to cause trouble.
The governorship candidate of the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, gave Wike this advice.
Wike has been waging internal war in the PDP over the continuous retention of Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the party. Adebutu said Wike should leave the PDP and form his own party if he won’t accept Ayu as national chairman.
Adebutu made this assertion while addressing non-indigene residents in Ogun at a gathering in Abeokuta during the weekend.
He stated that those who could not abide by the decision of a party are free to leave or form their own party.
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In a veiled reference to the governors, Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Sam Ortom of Benue, Adebutu said, “Unlike those that don’t understand that the party is supreme, that Iyorchia Ayu is our ‘oga,’ they don’t recognize that he has the power to hire and fire, we accept his leadership.
“By the Supreme Court judgements severally pronounced, those that don’t like your party have a few choices, they can either abide, go and form their own party or get out! We have chosen to abide by and obey Ayu’s dictates.
“We agree he is our chairman. We agree that Hon. Sikirulahi Ogundele is our leader in Ogun and he is representing Iyorchia Ayu. We agree to submit ourselves to the National Working Committee of the party. Those that don’t abide should go and form their own party,” he said.
While addressing Igbo, Hausa, Igede, Ijaw, Idoma supporters of Atiku in the state, Adebutu maintained that Nigerians remain one big family regardless of tribe or religion.
He said, “We are one Nigeria because we are one family speaking different languages, but we are happy together. May we continue to live together as one family and be happy.
“We are happy that we have somebody joining us together, His Excellency, Waziri Atiku Abubakar. It is not in dispute that he is our leader and we shall all work hard to make him the president of Nigeria. He is the unifier. We have a duty to do him proud and do ourselves proud. We must continue to promote his ideologies,” Adebutu said.
Recalls that Wike and four other governors of the PDP have insisted that Ayu should resign as the chairman of the party or they would not support the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar.
They claimed that Ayu had promised that he would resign his position if a northerner emerged as the presidential candidate of the PDP.
After Atiku emerged winner of the PDP primary in May, Wike and his supporters have insisted that Ayu resign. Efforts to reconcile them hit the brick walls.