A coalition of youth organisations working for the actualisation of the presidential ambition of Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, the Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed Vanguard (BAM-V), on Tuesday backed the summoning of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to appear before the disciplinary committee of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that it is high time the party sanctioned the former Rivers State governor for his open anti-party activities.
Reacting to Wike’s last Saturday’s threat to cause political crises in states being ruled by PDP governors who called for the party’s structure to be handed over to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, BAM-V, in a statement signed by its Director-General, Comrade Mohammed Abubakar Jibo, made available to Tribune Online in Abuja, declared that PDP should do more than inviting the FCT Minister to appear before its disciplinary committee but go ahead to either suspend or expel him outright from the party.
This, according to BAM-V, was imperative in view of Wike’s several anti-party activities, including his openly working against PDP in the 2023 presidential election, which the group stated contributed to the loss of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, in the election.
While stating that Wike’s tirade against PDP governors was reckless and indecorous, the group asserted that there was nothing wrong with the PDP Governors’ Forum resolution at its meeting in Jalingo, Taraba State, to stand with Governor Fubara.
The group added that the governors decision to consult with PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to allow Fubara to take over the leadership of the party in his state is in order, which ought not to warrant Wike’s threat to cause crises in their respective states.
BAM-V submitted that Wike had benefitted immensely from PDP and the party did not deserve the kind of treatment the former governor was giving it, asserting that the Minister’s threat was nothing but reckless and indecorous.
According to the release, “We at the Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (BAM-V), a coalition of youth organisations for democracy, good governance and accountability, noted the threats by the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike to cause political crises in PDP governed states because of the resolution by the PDP Governors’ Forum for the return of the party’s structure to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the rightful leader of PDP in Rivers States.
“There is no doubt that Wike’s threat is nothing but reckless and indecorous, coming from someone who has benefitted immensely from PDP, the party he openly worked against its interests in the 2023 presidential election when he supported the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC. In our view, there is nothing more anti-party activity than this.
“It is in view of this and other known anti-party activities of the former Rivers governor, that we not only back his invitation to face PDP Disciplinary Committee but also call on the National Working Committee of the party to urgently sanction Wike by either suspending him or giving him an outright expulsion from PDP before he causes further havoc on the party ahead of the 2027 general election.”
The coalition further stated that the FCT Minister’s threat posed danger not only to PDP’s unity across the country but also Nigeria’s peace and stability.
It noted that the founding fathers of the main opposition party never found the party to be turned to a tool of manipulation by any of its members in the country and asserted that the party is bigger than an individual.
“PDP as a political party is bigger than any individual, no matter how highly placed such person may be. We strongly believe that the founding fathers of the party had never intended that it will become a tool of manipulation by any member of PDP. We make bold to say that Wike’s excesses are too much and same cannot be continuously tolerated any further,” it stated.
While commending the Governor Bala Mohammed-led PDP Governors’ Forum for it stance on ensuring that PDP structure be returned to the Rivers State governor, BAM-V stated that those who assiduously worked to make Wike governor between 2015 and 2023 never hijacked the party structure from him but rather allowed him to assume the leadership of the party in the state.
The group then warned the FCT Minister not to do anything to cause any turmoil in Bauchi State, which it described as the most peaceful state in the entire North-East geopolitical zone.
“The Governor Bala Mohammed-led PDP administration in Bauchi State has in the last five years worked hard to maintain peace, security and development in the state. The likes of Wike are not wanted in Bauchi State. The state deserves its peace for its development to continue unabated.”
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