Wike must leave PDP for the party to survive, says Edwin Clark

Edwin Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), says Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), needs to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the party to survive.

In an open letter to Umar Damagum, acting chair of the PDP, Clark said he would not allow Wike destroy the country’s main opposition party and Rivers state.

The PANDEF leader alleged that Wike is ready to use his “closeness” to President Bola Tinubu to exert his influence on Rivers.

“Wike must leave PDP for the party to survive,” he said.

“Mr. Acting National Chairman, as a matter of fact, it is not just the national legal adviser of the PDP that is shocked about your actions – all well-meaning, reasonable, patriotic, faithful and honest party members, including many Nigerians, are equally shocked.

“The obvious anti-party activities of you and the national secretary, both of whom are obviously tools in the hands of Barr. Nyesom Wike, used with all intention to bring down the government of Siminalayi Fubara, the executive governor of Rivers State, as confessed by Barr. Wike himself during his recent outing at Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, the local government of Sen. George Sekibo, is palpable.”

Clark said Wike’s desire to control Rivers is against the constitution.

“Barr. Nyesom Wike’s arbitrariness knows no bounds,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, his actions and attitude have become unconstitutional. His desire to control Rivers state using ‘his structure’ is against Section 1 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.”

The elder stateman berated Damagum for an alleged attempt at according legal validation to the Rivers lawmakers loyal to Wike.

“As acting national chairman of your party, you took your party’s NWC to court on the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers state house of assembly, that because they did leave the PDP properly, they are still members of the party, even after the 27 members had publicly declared that they have defected, and had already been received by the APC,” he said.

“Your position Mr. Acting national chairman is antithetical to the position of Section 109. You took your party’ s NEC to court, an organ you preside over.

“From all indications, you are conniving with detractors of PDP to ruin the party, for the APC.”

WIKE-FUBARA RIFT

For months now, Wike and Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers governor, have been at loggerheads over affairs of the state, and this has led to a crisis in the state house of assembly.

In December, 27 members of the assembly defected from the PDP to the APC.

The Rivers assembly has 32 seats. One lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, died in September 2023.

In October 2023, Ehie Edison was elected speaker of the factional assembly, after his removal as house leader by members led by Martin Amaewhule — amid the plot to impeach Fubara.

Edison later resigned as lawmaker to become chief of staff to Fubara. The lawmakers in the Amaewhule-led faction are loyal to Wike.