Wike: Obaseki leaving PDP ‘impossible’ but if…

• I won’t return to APC, says Obaseki
• Edo APC congratulates Obaseki, says ‘selfish, arrogant leadership’ costs party election.

GOVERNOR Nyesome Wike of Rivers has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not a real political party but a disparate amalgam of defectors from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily today, Friday.

Wike, who was chairman of the party’s campaign council for the Edo election, noted that APC is a party of strange bedfellows who came together to wrest the reins of power from former president Goodluck Jonathan.

PDP, on the other hand, said the governor, is a real political party, having been in existence since 1999.

Wike noted that protection is the reason why politicians jump from one party to another.

He said, “APC is not a political party. It’s people who came together to take power from PDP. That is the crisis they are having together.

“It’s a party of strange bedfellow that came together to conspire against the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
”On the other hand, PDP has been PDP since 1999 and not made up of different parties, protection is why politicians are jumping from one party to the other.”

Wike also said Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State will not leave People’s Democratic Party, PDP, after winning a second term in last Saturday’s governorship election on the party’s platform.

He said “It is impossible,” but that “assuming it happens, so what? That is politics. There is nothing wrong if the governor (Obaseki) believes that PDP is no longer the party for him to actualise his vision and mission.

“But he (Obaseki) has consistently told us that there’s no way he will leave PDP. If he does, for example, the people of Edo State will not be happy and he is somebody I have that trust in.

“The party clothed him and when it was raining gave him the umbrella.”

Asked what role he played in the Edo election, Wike said he did nothing special and that the victory was a collective effort, giving “kudos the governors of Oyo and Delta states” who “contributed immensely to the success of the governor of Edo State.”

He added that it was a mistake to say he deployed resources for the election, asking what resources does a sitting governor need.

Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki, says he will not return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he was disqualified from contesting the governorship primary election for Edo by the APC former national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, which led to a spat between the two.

Obaseki went on to win the election on the platform of the PDP, winning with 307,955 votes to defeat Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the APC, who secured 223,619 votes.

Speaking with journalists after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock on Friday, the governor said leaving the PDP for the APC goes “against Buhari’s gospel of integrity”.

Obaseki said he should be dealt with if he attempts to become a “godfather” after his time in office.

According to him, godfatherism does not have a place in Edo.

The governor praised the president for his stance on the election despite being the leader of the country’s ruling party.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has congratulated Governor Godwin Obaseki and Deputy Rt. Hon Philip Shaibu on their victory at the Saturday’s Edo governorship election.

The congratulatory message was contained in a statement released by the chairman of the party in Edo State, Anselm U. Ojezua Esq on Friday.

According to the statement, the party conceded defeat and admitted that the election that resulted in the re-election of Godwin Obaseki as governor was “peaceful, orderly, and transparent”. It added that the people of Edo had made their choice “ in a very clear and unambiguous manner.”

The party ascribed its loss at the pool to unnecessary and avoidable crisis caused by an irresponsible party leadership.

The statement read in part, “Our loss at the pool stems from the needless and avoidable crisis on the party by a selfish, insensitive and arrogant and irresponsible leadership.

“While we begin to take steps to try and salvage the wellbeing of our party in the state, we call on the government to be magnanimous in victory while we urge all the contestants to sheathe their swords and put the elections behind them. We must all close ranks with the Government in order in order to ensure a seamless transition in the final lap of government for the benefit of our people rather than subject them to further needless distraction and rancour”.