Obaseki: ‘Tax Collectors’ In PDP’s NWC May Set Party On Fire, Wike Warns

…Withdraws From Edo PDP Reconciliation Committee

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has warned that crisis may soon erupt in the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the unjust action of some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) whom he described as “tax collectors and sycophants”.

Wike spoke following the discontent voices trailing the waiver granted Governor Godwin Obaseki who is seeking to contest for the party’s governorship ticket after he defected from the ruling All Progressive Congress.

Obaseki’s sudden waiver by the PDP NWC had generated serious crisis within the party with two aspirants gunning for the governorship ticket, Kenneth Imasuagbon and Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, insisting never to step down for Obaseki in tomorrow’s primary.

One of the aspirants, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama had gone to court to challenge the eligibility of Obaseki and had prayed the court to restrain him from participating in the party’s primary election

Wike, in a statement by Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paulinus Nsirim, blamed the party’s NWC for the logjam, saying that besides disrespecting the integrity of senior members of the party, the NWC failed to carry everybody along in Edo state but rather resorted to using the media to blackmail him.

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He noted as unfortunate the fact that, he is being accused despite his “sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo state” of masterminding the order granted by Justice E. A Obile of the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court in the suit instituted by one of the governorship aspirants, Ogbeide-Ihama, who had asked the court to bar Obaseki from participating in the forthcoming PDP primary election for Edo State.

According to him, it is based on the wrong accusation that he decided to pulled out of the reconciliation efforts of the Edo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) in a bid to keep his integrity intact.

Governor Wike who addressed newsmen in Port Harcourt said that some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP are sycophants and tax collectors who will never tell the truth.

According to him, instead of the NWC to carry everybody along in Edo state, they resorted to using the media to blackmail him.

“I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along. They must respect human beings and not behave like tax collectors.

“They said because an order was obtained from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, then I am responsible.

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“I have had sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo state. The Governors of Edo, Adamawa, and Delta states, know what I have done to resolve the issues in Edo state.

“As a result of this senseless accusation, I have pulled out of Edo State settlement. My integrity matters. I have also directed my lawyer to write ThisDay Newspaper on the publication they made against me in their Tuesday,23rd June, 2020 edition.

“I know the members of the National Working Committee of PDP who connived with ThisDay. They are tax collectors. Let them challenge me and I will come out with more facts.

“Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back”, he stated.

Governor Wike said he would no longer participate in any reconciliation and wondered why the NWC now wants to consult Governors of the party.

He questioned why the NWC did not consult with Governors in the case of Bayelsa State.

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The governor warned that if PDP is not careful, the crisis in the All Progressive Congress (APC) would be a child’s play.

“I am brought up not to accept injustice, and that is why I keep speaking out on national issues. Nobody in PDP can intimidate Rivers State.

“Nobody can threaten me because I said things must be done constitutionally. I will always continue to satisfy my conscience.

“From now on, I want to concentrate on the development of Rivers State”, he added.