Rivers State Governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has said that the prospects of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as an opposition party to wrest power from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) depended on the restructuring of its (PDP) internal mechanisms based on the imperatives of justice, fairness and equity to earn the trust and votes of Nigerians who are desirous of new a lease of life from the maladministration of the APC.
Speaking during a media chat in Government House, Port Harcourt, on Friday, Governor Wike disclosed that the crisis rocking the PDP was as a result of lack of internal democracy in the party, noting that the constitutional provisions which recommend the zoning of strategic positions had been grossly violated.
He added that the adamant and arrogant posture of the national chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, not to relinquish his position for someone from the Southern part of the country, following the emergence of a Northerner, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the Presidential Candidate of the party portrayed the PDP as being insincere and not worthy of trust with the votes of Nigerians.
Governor Wike stated that all the overtures of the party leadership to work out modalities for the exit of Dr Ayu as the national chairman of the party had been breached, following the goading of the national chairman by some people in the party without electoral value for him to remain in power.
He pointed out that unfolding events in the party after the presidential primaries and the sit-tight disposition of the national chairman, despite his assurance to quit his position if a Northerner emerged as presidential candidate of the party, had shown clearly that Dr Ayu manipulated the process of the presidential primaries against other contestants, particularly himself (Wike) in favour of Atiku Abubakar.
While accusing Dr Ayu of being corrupt and lacking in integrity, Governor Wike vowed to remain in PDP to fight for justice, equity and fairness in the party.
The Rivers State governor, who noted that the founding fathers of the PDP were cognisant of the complexity of the Nigerian state when they designed the party Constitution to reflect balance in political equation and power sharing, regretted that such constitutional provisions were being abused to shortchange the South.
Governor Wike called on the leadership echelon of the PDP to create avenue for sober reasoning and address the contentious issues in order to achieve geniune reconciliation and internal democracy so as to consolidate the chances of unseating the APC which had evidently failed Nigerians.
He pointed out that Rivers State had always remained a strong hold of the PDP having delivered massive votes for the party in previous elections, stating that such electoral asset base was being traded away with the antics of Dr Ayu and other members of the party close to the presidential candidate who felt that they could jettison Rivers votes.
Governor Wike also, during a PDP stakeholders meeting held in Government House, Port Harcourt, last Thursday, disclosed that the PDP campaign team in the state would be unveiled this week.
He explained that throughout his stewardship as Rivers State Chief Executive, the interest of the state had remained sacrosanct as he had kept faith with his promises to the people, adding that all candidates of the PDP in the state would coast home to victory, because Rivers people were satisfied with the quality of governance dispensed in the state by his administration.

By: Beemene Taneh