National Convention: Wike still in PDP, not destroying party – Lere Olayinka

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on PublicCommunications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal CapitalTerritory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, maintained that his principal isstill a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, amid the confusion of theparty’s National convention scheduled for November 15 in Ibadan, Oyo State. Olayinka said Wike’s fight within the PDP is for the rightthing to be done and the party’s constitution obeyed by members. He spoke while appearing on Channels Television’s SunriseDaily in response to claims of Wike trying to destroy the PDP before joiningthe All Progressives Congress, APC. Olayinka said most of the issues Wike raised regarding PDP’sleadership have been accepted by the party despite initial resistance. He said: “The Minister has continually maintained that heremains in PDP. I said it here, the last time I was here, I asked thisquestion, everything the minister had complained about, every of his positionabout PDP, which of them has the party not come back to accept? “When he came up with the issue of Damagum, that Damagumshould rightfully remain the PDP chairman, these same people said no and at theend of the day, did they not come back to make Damagum chairman? “The issue of Samuel Anyanwu, the national secretary of theparty, that they brought one person from Maiduguri to come and be nationalsecretary. They said no that Wike was doing it because he was against theparty, because he was against this and that. “Supreme Court gave judgment and the party refused to obeyit. At the end of the day, what did the party come back to agree on? The sameposition of Wike. “See, you can hate Wike, you can hate me Lere Olayinka butcan you hate the position of your party, of the constitution of your party?Because you always talk about it is internal affairs. Internal affairs, yes,but you must operate in accordance with your constitution.” Highlighting the Abuja Federal High Court ruling thatrestrained the PDP from going ahead with its National convention, Olayinka saidthe party has already zoned its presidential ticket. He said: “Look at the case of yesterday, in which anotherwas given to restrain the party from going ahead with the national convention.You want to hold national convention and you have zoned positions, PDP does notzone position to North Central, Northeast, Northwest, or Southwest, Southeast.PDP only do North and South zoning.” Dismissing claims that Wike was responsible for the crisiswithin the PDP, Olayinka wondered if the Minister was behind the inability offormer Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido not getting his nomination form afterhe had paid. He said: “A former governor, one of the founding fathers ofthe PDP, Sule Lamido, paid to obtain nomination form to contest for nationalchairman. After paying, they refused to release nomination form to him. DidWike cause that one? Is it part of the function of the PDP to refuse to releasethe nomination form to people who have paid? “Even if you have positions, even if you have somebody thatyou want, it has always happened in the past. You should allow people to freelyexpress their right to contest.” Olayinka accused most PDP leaders who are gearing toparticipate in the upcoming convention of not knowing where their nominationforms are. He added: “But this convention they are talking about, mostof those leaders of the PDP don’t even know where the nomination forms are.They don’t even know where to get a nomination form. The National OrganizingSecretary of the PDP is in charge of convention, congresses and up to today,the National Organizing Secretary does not know who are the people evencontesting, these are the issues.”

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