‘From presidential aspirant to spokesperson’ — Wike taunts Dele Momodu

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has taunted Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine, over the latter’s comment on the ongoing crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Over the past weeks, the PDP has been enmeshed in internal wrangling as Wike and his allies are calling for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s national chairman.

Efforts to resolve the crisis have ended in stalemate as Wike’s allies pulled out of the PDP presidential campaign council.

Reacting to the party’s crisis, Momodu, in an interview published on Vanguard, asked Wike and his allies “not to cross the lines” in their insistence not to work for Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate.

“People get angry, there is nothing wrong in that. They have every reason to be angry, but they should not cross certain lines,” the publisher was quoted as saying.

“I have written in the last couple of months to Governor Wike, the closest to me among them, because I call him the ‘poster boy in PDP’, great guy, doing very well, advising him not to cross certain lines.”

Responding to Momodu’s comment, Wike, in a media chat, mocked the publisher for getting zero vote in the PDP presidential primary, saying Momodu contested for the sake of recognition.

The Rivers governor said he will not allow anybody to use him to gain “relevance”, adding that he has not left the PDP since 1999 unlike some of his critics.

“I have also read where some people say we should not cross the lines. Ordinarily, I should not have responded to this,” Wike said.

“I read they said it is one Dele Momodu. These are the things I’m talking about. Ask him. When did he join the party?

“He came into PDP two weeks before the presidential primary. He is from Edo state. He did not even get one vote, not even from his own state.

“When you just want them to recognise you — from presidential aspirant to becoming spokesperson — somebody who wants to rule Nigeria has become a spokesperson of a presidential aspirant.

“All of you know how many times Dele Momodu had been in Port Harcourt, from one project commissioning to another.

“I’m not going to be a party to anybody using me to be relevant. If you don’t have a job, say you don’t have any job, I have a job and I will continue to do my job.”