TheCable

Kola Ologbondiyan, former publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, won’t leave the opposition party.

The former PDP spokesman said Wike’s recent engagements with members of the opposition parties are not an indication that he will abandon the party. 

Ologbondiyan spoke on Wednesday when he was interviewed on The Morning Show, a programme on Arise TV.

He said Wike had always related well with members of other political parties, hence his recent associations should not be seen as a move to leave the PDP.

Ologbondiyan said this in the wake of speculations that Wike will not support the PDP ahead of the 2023 elections after losing out on the party’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets.

The Rivers governor had contested the PDP presidential primary election in May but lost to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Abubakar had also overlooked Wike to pick Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate — against the recommendation of the national working committee (NWC) of the party.

“As far as I’m concerned, he is at liberty to associate with whosoever he wishes to associate with. He is allowed,” Ologbondiyan said during the interview.

“When Bukola Saraki left the APC and joined the PDP or when Aminu Tambuwal left the APC and joined the PDP, did it just happen? No, you go and consult. What I’m saying is this, no matter the consultation, no matter the discussions, until Governor Wike goes out and picks the membership card of the APC or he goes out to pick the membership card of the Labour Party, there are no issues as far as I am concerned.

“People can come and see him, they can come and hold parties, they can come and discuss, they can come and analyse. They can discuss all manner of things. He remains a member of the party.

“What is important to us is that the burden that APC must not come back. Failure must not be reinforced. That is our position and if you look at Governor Wike, that has been his campaign since he became governor.

“Somebody (Wike) has said that PDP has malaria, APC has cancer. Is he going to leave malaria and go include cancer? I don’t want your party to fall for the gimmicks of the APC.”