Wike and tales by moonlight: A rejoinder

Babajide Balogun did well to write. But he didn’t write well. In his article, ‘Wike and Tales by Moonlight’, the said Balogun only succeeded in wasting time and occupying space on a subject he is either uninformed about or playing to the gallery. I believe Governor Nyesom Wike maintained a principled stance after the PDP presidential primaries that produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate.

Yes, Wike lost. How did he lose? Were there undercurrents? Was there a deliberate attempt at ridiculing him? If Balogun can’t provide answers to the above questions, then he owes Wike and his supporters an unreserved apology. He alleged that Wike parried all sincere efforts to get him to see why he should let bygones be bygones and reunite with most of the PDP stakeholders. I read this with utter amazement and wondered what his motives were.

It’s common knowledge that the PDP National Chairman was complicit instead of standing neutral. He manipulated the process to favour a particular candidate, making others who have been with the party through thick and thin feel unwelcome in the party. Does Babajide Balogun expect Wike to take it hook, line and sinker and roll on the floor? I still support the position of the Wike camp that Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the party’s chairman. This is aside from his promise to resign should a northerner emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

I do not hold a brief for Wike and his team. However, I found the content of Babajide Balogun’s article insulting and without bearing. He was vile in his condemnation of Wike. He was angelic in his praise for Iyorchia Ayu, who stood compromised for all intents and purposes. Yes, he made allegations. Have these allegations been refuted? Are the actors not alive? Can’t they defend themselves by countering all he said?

It is a shame that Balogun would attempt to play the mind game instead of stating the issues as they are. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the candidate for the PDP. Nobody has questioned that, and the last time I checked, Wike has not countered that. He has said the condition for peace is for the resignation of the PDP chairman for failing grossly to be above sentiments.

This, in my opinion, is not too much to ask when it was evident that a lot went wrong under the connivance of the chairman. If the PDP wants peace to reign, it should admit that Wike was edged out, and as a critical stakeholder in the party, he deserves respect. He has earned his stripes.

The Peter Odili and the Wike scenarios are miles apart. And there is no basis for comparison. No two experiences are the same. Let’s not also forget that Wike had remained one of the pillars of the party since 2015, when it lost the general election. He was stood for the party and defended the party when it mattered most. So it should not surprise the PDP goons who think he is overbearing and imposing by insisting for the right thing to be done.

Far from that, he is, in his characteristic manner, demanding equity because he who comes to equity must do so with clean hands. And from all indications, Ayu’s hands are not clean in this circumstance. If indeed he has the party’s interest at heart, he should have done the honourable thing. Unless Babajide Balogun wants to justify where a party chairman would label stakeholders of the party as children for demanding that the right thing be done, I think at this point, I need to advise the leadership of the PDP to appraise the demands by the Wike camp in the attempt at genuine reconciliation.

According to Balogun, it is encouraging that the PDP has elected to move on with or without Wike. This is a good sign; at least Nigerians would know what to expect with a PDP presidency. Nigerians should expect that their voice won’t count. Nigerians should also expect that their destinies would be in the hands of a few that have shared positions of authority with themselves even before winning the elections.

It would be either their way or the highway. You take whatever you see and do not have a right to demand credible leadership or plans and programmes that guarantee sustainable growth and development. Just like Wike can go to hell, all Nigerians can also go to hell. Lest I forget, there is no sense in comparing the PDP Presidential primaries with the APC. The real humiliation happened in the PDP, and this much the Ayus and their goons have elected to kick under the carpet because they are the Methuselahs of the PDP.

The PDP should do well to ignore Wike at its peril. He is a common governor of a state. As such, he can be ignored or silenced into accepting an anomaly as normal. This is my take from Balogun’s article. And this begets the question of how democratic is the PDP.

Whatever Wike said remains true unless countered with evidence. He is a lawyer and knows the implication of making false allegations. I think the PDP should desist from attempts at blackmailing Wike to submission. It must put its house in order by acceding to the demands of the Wike camp. I stand with Wike. He is a brave heart. The PDP must learn to do things right. Everybody is important in the party, including Wike.