Rivers State Govenor, Nyesom Wike has blamed some of the challenges trailing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the national leadership of the party.
He also took a swipe at former Governor of Cross River state, Liyel Imoke, accusing him of being responsible for the crises in the party in that state.
According to a report by Vanguard, Wike, during the recent celebration of Imoke's 60th birthday and the 10th anniversary of his Bridge Leadership Foundation (TBLF) as well as 11th Career Day Conference of the foundation, Wike took on Imoke, heaping blame on him for the sliding fortunes of PDP in the state.
Imoke’s predecessor in office, Donald Duke was the first person to finger Imoke’s autocratic style of leadership for pushing Governor Ben Ayade and some of his cohorts out of the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was that same sentiment that was once again re-echoed by Wike, who accused Imoke of not doing enough to hold the party together in the state just as he took a swipe the national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus.
According to Wike, leadership is not theoretical but practical, saying that his honouring of the invitation by Imoke was a demonstration of his leadership attribute, which he said Imoke and some of the national leaders of the party lacked, a development that he said is affecting the party adversely.
Wike said that if Imoke as the leader of the party during his tenure as governor and now as an elder of the party had demonstrated practical leadership that the party would not have suffered the fate visited on it.
The birthday celebration was attended by some of the national and state leaders of the party, friends and associates of Imoke, including Secondus, who left shortly before Wike mounted the podium, former Senate Presidents, Bukola Saraki and Ayim Pius Ayim as well as former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole.
I won’t join issues with Wike - Secondus
In response to Wike's accusation during the event, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus said he won’t join issues with any leader of the party now or in the future.
Wike had specifically said Secondus was a 'liar' who could not be trusted, accusing him of saying one thing and doing the clear opposite in practical terms.
Reacting to the “liar” label, Secondus in a statement issued by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, noted that as leader of a party as large as PDP, insults and name-calling were bound to the thrown at him.
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, Neysom 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 not to talk of 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 the truth is unhidden that Secondus is not a liar.”
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Meanwhile, other leaders in the party have lent their voices in an attempt to calm frayed nerves.
Former aide to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe berated Wike saying that openly castigating Secondus at a public function was not an act of bravery but reckless, indecent, irresponsible and unacceptable behaviour.
According to him, such criticisms of the National Chairman of the main opposition party should be reserved by mature minds for the appropriate time like the National Executive Committee meeting of the party.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Okupe wrote, “I have observed that there are too many anomalies and practices which are alien to party politics which are being thrown to the upcoming young ones as the norm.”
“Castigating the national chairman in public directly undermines his leadership and put to disrepute his authority. It also diminishes his status before other party members and people in general.
“It is in fact incalculable damage to the party’s image itself.
“Even if Gov Wike’s assertions are true, I do not say they are, and if indeed there is a need to change the party leadership as being canvassed by some, it must be through a well thought out plan and arrangement.