Wike Slams PDP Leadership, Describe Them As ‘Tax Collectors’

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has lambasted some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wike, while speaking in Port Harcourt the State capital, described some of them as tax collectors.

Naija News recalls that a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had stopped the PDP from conducting its governorship primaries in Edo State, southern Nigeria ahead of the Edo 2020 election scheduled for September.

The Edo PDP Primary election was slated for Thursday, June 25 before the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court took the decision to halt the primaries.

The same court had also restrained Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from participating in the PDP governorship primary election.

Naija News reports that an aspirant in the Edo PDP Primary election, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihiama, instituted the suit, asking the court to stop Obaseki from participating in the election.

Reports emerged on Tuesday alleging that Governor Wike was backing Ogbeide-Ihama’s move to stop the conduct of the primaries.

Reacting, the River State governor accused the PDP NWC of being sycophants who would never tell the truth.

Wike said: “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.

“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”.

Governor Wike also revealed that he was pulling out of the reconciliatory moves in the Edo PDP, adding that if the PDP was 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 said.