Gov Wike in dilemma over plan to dump PDP for APC          

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State after years of his political career on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may have found himself at crossroads of partisan considerations and power calculus. National Daily learned that in considering the ambition to be domineering in the PDP which was countered by other stakeholders in the party, the rivers State governor may have begun plans to dump the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). However, he was said to be counting the consequences of such action, which was said to have placed him in dilemma.

Governor Wike after the failure to install Hon. Ogundu Kingsley Chinda, a lawmaker in the National Assembly from Rivers State as the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, which was won by Hon Ndudi Elumelu, a lawmaker in the National Assembly from Delta State, turned an internal opposition to the opposition PDP. He berated and insulted PDP leaders, especially, members of the committee constituted to investigate the appointment of Elumelu as Minority Leader by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Hon. Femi Gbajibiamila, contrary to the PDP decision to nominate Chinda, sponsored by Governor Wike for the Minority Leader. The Speaker of the House of Representatives had in the heat of the controversy, declared that the PDP which did not support his candidature for the Reps Speaker cannot dictate to him who to appoint as Minority Leader in the House.

To further demonstrate his deep anger against the PDP, Governor Wike was quick to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC after the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in its judgment upheld the election of Buhari. The Rivers Governor had maintained that some PDP governors visit President Buhari in demonstration that he has no remorse for his congratulation of the President and that he is not the only PDP governor relating with President Buhari.

Governor Wike had in the build up to the National Convention of the PDP to nominate the party’s Presidential candidate for the 2019 general elections, insisted that the convention must hold in Port Harcourt, threatening some consequential actions if the PDP moved the convention to another state.

At the PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt, Governor Wike had sponsored Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State in the primary election for the PDP presidential ticket which was won by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Since then, Governor Wike has not been comfortable in the PDP except for personal gains. The failure to install Chinda as Minority Leader in the House was gathered to have increased the pressures on him of drawing up new political calculations of quitting the PDP for APC. Then, the Rivers Governor was said to putting several things into consideration.

It was learned that he might return join the APC and resume political hostilities with the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

Secondly, there are innuendoes that Governor Wike may be considering joining the 2023 presidential race as a running mate to a northern presidential candidate on the PDP platform. There are indications that his 2019 alliance with Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto State has not been broken. The Sokoto State Governor is believed to be preparing to come back for the PDP presidential ticket in 2023 with full force in completion of his second term as governor.

Apparently, PDP stakeholders have stated that Governor Wike is having a lot on his head in alleged plan to dump PDP for APC. They warned that Wike should learn from the experience of former Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, admonishing Wike that Rivers is a PDP state and does not belong to him or any individual.

Meanwhile, National Dailycontinues to monitor events as they unfold and bring you updates.