By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, on Tuesday responded to the allegation of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that he was a “liar,” who says one thing and does the exact opposite.
Wike, who made the allegation at the 60th birthday celebration of former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, claimed that Secondus was the major problem facing the country’s main opposition party because he was not trustworthy.
Though both Wike and Secondus are from Rivers State, the governor, nevertheless, blamed the party chairman for the troubles bedeviling the party in some states of the federation.
But in a strong pushback on Tuesday through his media office, Secondus said silence was the best answer.
In a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, titled, “Secondus is not a liar,” which was sent to TheNiche on WhatsApp, the party chieftain said as the leader of a party as large as PDP, insults and name-calling come with the trade.
But he insisted that he would not pay back Wike in kind because “the impact of such response from national chairman on the party will be worse than silence.”
The statement read: “The media office of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has been inundated with calls and inquiries on the outburst of the Rivers State Governor, Bar. Nyesom Wike, against the person and image of the National Chairman.
“Our response is that no amount of provocation will make the National Chairman join issues with any leader of the party talk less a state Governor.
“To do that is to remove the toga of a leader of the party.
“The impact of such response from National Chairman on the party will be worse than silence.
“The National Chairman considers whatever negative outburst against him from any quarter as one of the punches a leader must receive and endure to get stronger especially when truth is unhidden that Secondus is not a liar.”