Bauchi Governor has responded to Wike’s criticisms with a strong retort. Get the full story on the escalating PDP conflict.
Governor of Bauchi State and Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, confidently claims that he possesses sufficient resources to extinguish any conflict with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesome Wike.
In response to a warning from the Minister of Federal Capital Territory that any People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governor who interferes in the affairs of Rivers State will be set ablaze, Mohammed offered his retort.
On Tuesday, while receiving a delegation of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) at Government House Bauchi, he declared his statement.
Remember that Wike had previously warned of potential political unrest in Rivers and South South states if any governor were to meddle with the party’s structure, in response to calls from the forum for a reconsideration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s leadership position following the party congress.
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“I want to make it clear that no one will be able to strip the PDP’s structure from us as long as we are alive. However, I have heard some governors declare that they plan on seizing control and transferring it to someone else,” cautioned Wike.
“It is unfortunate for those governors who will witness chaos in their states brought by my actions. Refusing peace when blessed with it results in a reckless attitude of grabbing anything within sight.”
In response to the fire threat from Wike, Mohammed declared that no one can set Bauchi ablaze as they have an abundance of water. He further clarified that his friend’s outburst was due to annoyance caused by something he had said but it is not a personal matter. Regardless, their friendship remains intact and does not affect his responsibilities as a leader in any way.
The governor of Bauchi, Mohamed, expressed his joy at the visit by NWC leaders to acknowledge “our humble efforts towards promoting stability and prosperity in our party and country which has brought us immense pride and happiness.”
He referred to the visit as unexpected and a display of optimism for Nigeria. “There are individuals with integrity, and we are united by the principles that formed the PDP through its pioneers,” he stated.
“Yes, none of the parties are immune to crisis as such; that is why leadership plays an essential role. We need to proactively discuss and review our party’s constitution, not just limited to PDP but all political parties in general. It is vital that we abide by legal guidelines and respect one another while setting aside personal interests and acknowledging diversity. Particularly for a party with such a rich history like PDP, it becomes imperative to reconcile differences among ourselves collectively. We possess exceptional credentials; hence let us rally together.”
We want to make it clear that any disagreements we may have had are not personal and should not be perceived as such. This is not a faction, but rather an official delegation from the NWC assembled to address some important matters that require discussion.
We are delighted that you have come to the home of PDP, and it is truly an auspicious occasion.
The National Legal Adviser of the PDP and leader of the NWC delegation, Ajibade Adeyemi (SAN), clarified that their purpose for visiting was to show solidarity with the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.
Adeyemi expressed, “Our purpose is to show solidarity with you and acknowledge your bravery as the head of the PDP governors’ forum.”
Many developments have taken place within our party and we cannot deny that not everything is fine. We truly appreciate you and the other colleagues of our governors for confronting these challenges head-on.
“We deemed it necessary to associate with you and assure you that any actions taken by the forum, representing your interests at the NWC, will always be willingly executed.”
