The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that immediate-past National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, is not a member of the party and, therefore, cannot speak either for or interfere in the affairs of the party.
The governor spoke at the inauguration of Aluu-Omagwa Link Road that held at Omuagubia playground by Cross Junction, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area on Saturday.
Secondus, while alluding to Wike, was reported in the media to have said that no one person has powers to impose a presidential candidate on Rivers’ electorate.
Reacting, Wike said Secondus was a meddlesome interloper because he had been expelled as a member of PDP by his ward in Andoni, an action that was affirmed by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“I read newspaper this morning where a former member of our party, one Uche Secondus said that no one man can impose a presidential candidate on Rivers people.
“He is not a member of our party. His ward expelled him from the party. The court confirmed it. He went to Court of Appeal, he lost. He went to Supreme Court, the matter is coming up on October 23, 2023.”
He added, “I told him, you will not be national chairman to conduct the convention. Did he conduct it? Was he at the national convention? Up until now, you are not a member of our party.
“And in any case, I never said I was going to impose my candidate on Rivers people. I said , I was going to tell Rivers people who I am going to support. Who I am going to campaign for.
“But don’t blame them, when you didn’t finish secondary school, you will not understand the grammar.”
Wike noted that Rivers people would listen to him more than Secondus because they could trust him as a leader who would continue to defend the interest of the state.
“So, Mr. Secondus, I have no problem with you being technical adviser to Atiku. But don’t speak on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State because you are not a member of our party.”
Wike asserted that it was not surprising that “Secondus, beclouded by his half education, preferred poorly educated candidate, Senator Lee Maeba, to have emerged as Senator over Senator Magnus Abe, a more educated Rivers son”.
The governor recalled how Secondus and his cohorts, whom he called Abuja Rivers politicians, had tried unsuccessfully to circumvent his political intentions.
The governor said he had no apology for unsettling the “Abuja politicians” when the party structure was taken over by him in 2013, saying he beat them into joining with him because there was no other choice left for them.
“What most of you didn’t know is that all these people who run away to Abuja, they’ve never worked with us. I led the team that kicked them out of office in 2007. Yes, I have no apology for that.
“In 2014, in spite of the fact I was the one who fought for the structure of the party, most of them sabotaged me at the back to run for governor against me.
“When they saw there was no hope, there was nothing else for them to do, they had no choice but to come and join us,” Wike said.