PDP Crisis: I Wish People Know Wike – Ikpeazu Declares Amidst Ayu Chairmanship Tussle

The Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has shed more light on the reason he and some other Governors are demanding the resignation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Ikpeazu explained that it is a matter of principle and they are fighting for the future not only in the PDP but in Nigeria as a whole.

The Governor who spoke during an interview with The Nation said their stand is to demand inclusiveness, fairness and sensitivity.

He argued that having the leadership positions of the PDP concentrated in one particular ethnic group is not healthy, neither does it portray the party as having a national outlook.

According to him, Governor Nyesom Wike is a good man with good intentions who can’t be intimidated. He said the Rivers Governor is not fighting for himself.

Ikpeazu lamented that it is unfortunate that some PDP members prefer cunning people who have one thing in mind and say something else rather than Wike who says his mind openly.

The Abia State Governor further warned the PDP not to ignore early warning signs as its actions or inactions would definitely attract consequences.

He said: “Three critical issues face us as a country; inclusivity or management of our diversity, economy and insecurity. Of all these three, the challenge that I want every candidate to focus on seriously is the problem of management of our diversity, youth inclusiveness, women inclusiveness, tribal and ethnic inclusiveness, and religious sensitivity and among others.

“They are important now because we are far more divided as a country than we have ever been in life.

“We can’t battle insecurity as it is now unless we come together as a united front in which case I will be bold and courageous enough to call a bad Igbo man a bad Nigerian.

“The man from Adamawa and Yobe State should be in the position to call a criminal from Yobe a bad Nigerian.”

It Should Be One Nigeria

Taking a swipe at the current government in Nigeria, Ikpeazu said leaders should be bold to face and address situations.

He argued that any form of segregation particularly that may be based on ethnicity or religion should not be encouraged as all citizens must be equal.

He stated that no Nigerian should be a second-class citizen in his or her own country.

“A situation where if you come from a certain part of the country, your crime will have another name; bandit, but if you do the same thing in another part of Nigeria, you are tagged a terrorist, that situation cannot drive growth, inclusion and patriotism.

“We need to speak to that; we need men of integrity and men with courage and a new orientation as we present ourselves to the electorate.

“The electorate of today is not the same thing as the electorate of 2015 and so, we can come up with the same rhetoric; we just have to step up our game a little bit.

“I know that most Nigerians are good people, but we are amoebic; we can change like the weather changes.

“The better part of us is what the new paradigm calls, for now, that is why we are saying that we are presenting our candidate and nobody is questioning the candidate and his vice.”

I Am Not Dumping PDP

Governor Ikpeazu however ruled out the chances of dumping the PDP for another party.

In his words, “We are saying that to market the party, can we tweak what we have already so that we can give our party the national outlook that it brags about? It will give comfort to all parts of the country because the PDP is the party that has the farthest reach and so, we need to ensure inclusiveness.

“I am a party man, I am not going anywhere, I will remain in the PDP, but it is good that I am in a place where I can ask those questions about what my people will naturally confront me with. That is why I also have some problems with some members of our party who do not see our point of view.”

Why I Am Supporting Wike Against Ayu

Ikpeazu added that he is part of those supporting Wike’s stand against Ayu because it is not a personal struggle.

He stressed that if they don’t tell themselves the truth now, Nigerians will tell them at the polls in 2023.

Whatever the outcome, the Governor said he wants to be known to have stood for the right thing by demanding inclusiveness for the south.

“I am not going to support Wike to battle Atiku or Okowa. But, I will support Wike on principle to demand the inclusiveness of the Southeast, the Southsouth and the Southwest in the party.

“If what we have are mere promises that nobody is willing to compromise, it means that we have all decided to go to war with a limping rickety vehicle; that is our choice.

“But, if you put me in the position of the dramatis personnel, I will think differently. I thank God for a man like Wike and I wish people knew that Wike is a man of tomorrow; he is the kind of person that people should crave and look for. But, unfortunately, people love cunning individuals that won’t say anything but finally undermine you. Nobody wants to co-habitat with somebody that will give you an excuse of mind up front. Wike is much like the soldier ant that draws a straight line and walks along that straight line and in doing that with a gesture to say, just take the rest of the world and leave this straight line. If you step on this straight line, you will be forced to remove your trousers from the market. Maybe, other people will just keep quiet and the consequences will stare us in the face.

“So, if my party said that they owe any explanation to anybody and that this is what our party has become, these same questions that we are asking ourselves now, the ordinary Nigerians will ask us with their votes.

“But, I want to be in a position now that I have made my point and mark until this point where I can say to our people, the same question you ask, I have always asked,” Governor Ikpeazu submitted.