By: Ademola Justin, Abuja
Nigeria’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has mocked ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), over the current impasse playing out in Rivers State, with regards to negative activities of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike which is unsettling the APC and its leadership.
The PDP is accusing the ruling party of hypocrisy with regards to the activities of Nyesom Wike, who it assisted in destroying the PDP in the last 3 years.
The Kabiru Turaki-led PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, pointedly stated that the APC is merely reaping the fruits of its own tactical decisions, thus cannot suddenly “cry foul” over a political landscape it helped to create.
The PDP stated that; “What the APC is experiencing is a voluntary injury they inflicted on themselves, so they must manage him. After all, the benefits of this nuisance accrued to the APC, and they must now manage the fallout”.
This was as the PDP declared that Nyesom Wike is no longer a member of the party, stressing that the APC knowingly engaged him for political advantage, only to raise objections now that the relationship has become problematic.
The opposition Party which stated these while reacting to a public exchange between Nyesom Wike and the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, over political developments in Rivers State, noted that the APC National Secretary may genuinely not know who is or is not a member of the PDP, thus may still be relying on outdated information suggesting that Nyesom Wike was a PDP member.
In the words of the PDP; “Nyesom Wike was expelled from the PDP, along with his supporters, and that is why we sympathise with the problem the APC has brought upon itself by engaging Wike; someone they now lack the moral or legal standing to disown.”
According to the PDP, “The law does not allow you to benefit from a wrong you created, nor can you complain of a voluntary injury.”
“You cannot complain about an act you willingly undertook. So, they should manage the situation they have created. After all, what was once seen as an asset has now become a liability, and they must deal with it,” it said.
The PDP particularly took exception to the attempts to draw the PDP into the controversy, emphasising that the conduct now being criticised was previously applauded when it appeared to serve the APC’s interests.
It further stated; “As for Basiru’s comments, he should not drag the PDP into this. When Wike was engaging in this conduct in a way that favoured the APC, they were jubilating and laughing. This same National Secretary did not complain even once.”
The statement contained that, “I have looked closely at his (Basiru’s) so-called activist credentials. We must be able to look at issues beyond partisan lines. When something is wrong, it is wrong. As a citizen, and as the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, if someone engages in anti-party activity or aligns with another party, I will call that person out. I will say clearly: this does not look good. Either leave that party and join us, or remain independent and support us openly.”
Ini Ememobong stressed that the APC alone enjoyed whatever political gains that arose from Wike’s actions, thus must deal with the fallout.
He further stated that; “This is what happens when you keep feeding a monster. One day, you become food in the belly of that monster. Some people keep feeding the monster, thinking they will always escape, believing they will always have enough food to offer it.”
“They forget that one day, the monster may be tired of the food being fed to it and ask instead, what would this person taste like? And then, they end up in the belly of the monster,” the PDP enthused.
Barr Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister
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