PDP crisis further escalates as Wike vows to crush his ‘enemies’

The lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues to threaten the unity of the party as Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State vowed to crush his detractors in the party.

Wike during the inauguration of the Okezuo Abia Flyover in Osieome, Aba, Abia State, by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, on Monday, September 5, 2022, boasted that he had the capacity to bring down his opponents.

How it started: The Rivers governor and four other PDP governors — Sam Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) are opposed to the current distribution of offices in the party.

The governors argued that the leadership of the party is too pro-North. They said the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu cannot come from the same bloc region.

As part of the conditions for resolution, the governors demanded the resignation of the National Chairman of the party.

But the demand from Wike’s camp did not go down well with Ayu, who fired back at the governors, describing them as children who were not around when the party was established.

Speaking at the inauguration yesterday, Wike said Ikpeazu had once suggested that he should leave the ongoing issue in the PDP to God.

The governor said he told Ikpeazu that he won’t back down because God had given him all he needed to crush his enemies.

Wike’s words: “I was on plane with him and we were discussing and he said why won’t I leave this thing for God and I said what do you mean by that?

“Why are you overcrowding God? God has given me what it takes for me to crush these people, for me to crush my enemies, and you are telling me I should leave it for God.

“No. God has given me what it takes. God has so many things to do. There are the ones I should do and there are the ones I should call on God for.

“Now that I know I have the capacity to flog these small boys and you want me to go and leave it for God? I am going to flog them with pepper.”

The governor also said those making attempts to break his ranks would fail because they do not understand the kind of relationship between him and his fellow governors who are on his side.