APC mocks Saraki, Atiku, others, says they bowed to Wike threat on PDP Port Harcourt Convention

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has derided the leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who, after vowing not to accept Port Harcourt as venue for their National Convention, eventually bowed to threat by Governor of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike.

Since assuming office after the disputed 2015 Rivers State governorship election, Governor Nyesom Wike has assumed the role of de facto PDP national chairman, sole administrator, spokesman, organising secretary and BoT chairman, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Yekini Nabena, said in a statement copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Sunday.

According to the statement, Nabena said Wike had had his way after threatening Senate President Bukola Saraki, other PDP presidential aspirants and leaders to ‘teach them a bitter lesson’ if they ‘dared’ to oppose his decision to host the PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

He claimed that it was no secret that Governor Wike’s insistence on Port Harcourt was to manipulate and influence his choice of presidential candidate from the crowd of PDP presidential aspirants.

He, therefore, urged the PDP members who believed in the APC progressive ideologies to leave ‘the sinking PDP’ for the APC where he said their voices would be heard and decisions taken collectively.

In the statement it titled, “How Saraki, Other PDP Presidential Aspirants, Leaders Bowed To Governor Nyesom Wike’s Threat on Port Harcourt Convention Venue”, the APC’s Spokesman said:

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formed the federal government and many state governments for 16 years before Nigerians rejected the Party in 2015 for its many acts of corruption, impunity and waste.

“As events has shown, it is a misnomer to call the Party, Peoples Democratic Party as there is nothing democratic about its policies and practices.

“The PDP to all intents and purposes has become the theatre of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. Since assuming office after the disputed 2015 Rivers Governorship election, Wike has assumed the role of de facto PDP National Chairman, sole administration, spokesman, organising secretary and BoT Chairman.

Recall Governor Wike’s imposition of an erstwhile PDP National Chairman without a formal Convention and the leaked telephone conversation of Governor Wike threatening to kill INEC officials he had paid to rig the rivers rerun election in favour of the PDP

“Most recently, Governor Wike threatened the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, other PDP presidential aspirants and leaders to ‘Teach them a bitter lesson’ if they ‘dared’ to oppose his decision to host the PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

“Governor Wike had his way.

“It is an open secret that Governor Wike’s insistence on Port Harcourt is to manipulate and influence his choice of presidential candidate from the crowd of PDP presidential aspirants, virtually all of whom stole the nation’s commonwealth in the recent past.

“It is surprising that the PDP with its supposed seasoned politicians will sit by and allow Governor Wike use the PDP as his personal property, to determine who gets what, when and how, and where party conventions must be held. What happened to internal party democracy? Ofcourse, this is an alien concept to the PDP.

“Our great party, the APC has ensured that party processes are inclusive and participatory. The progressive Direct Primaries method of electing party candidates introduced by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led APC national leadership is a solid demonstration of our drive to ensure that internal party democracy is adhered to. This is a departure from the cash and carry system institutionalised by the PDP.

“PDP members who genuinely believe in our progressive ideologies are encouraged to leave the sinking PDP and join the APC where their voices will be heard and decisions taken collectively. They should leave the Wike Autocratic Party (WAP) for the Rivers State Governor and his minions, bent on foisting their unpopular and undemocratic will on the majority.”