Former presidential aspirant on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, Dele Momodu has said that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State will not quit the party.
Momodu, who is the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, stated this amid rumour of Wike’s readiness to dump the party after failing to pick up the presidential or vice presidential ticket for the 2023 election.
The veteran journalist said that Wike is a principled politician that has never been known for jumping from one party to the other.
He added that the Rivers governor would not benefit anything by joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Momodu, who appeared as a guest on Channels TV programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ on Monday, noted that the outcome of the May 28 and 29 presidential primary established Wike as a force to be reckoned with in PDP.
“For me, governor Wike is a very principled man; if there’s one thing he has been consistent about, it is his love for PDP; I believe he will not leave PDP. He is playing a mind game and he’s good at it. What shall he profit him if he joins APC?”
“The situation in PDP shows what Wike is in the equation of things in Nigeria. If you have a man who is your best governor across the board, across party lines, Wike stands out as a fantastic performer.
“Today, the fear of Wike is the beginning of wisdom in PDP, there is no question about that. Wike is smart, he knows the game he’s playing, and what he wants to do is to force a deal with the party. That’s my own reading of the situation.
“He is a very smart politician. I’m sure eventually the party will reach an agreement with him,” he said.
Momodu advised the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to engage Wike in a meeting to resolve the crisis within the party.
“What I would advise Atiku Abubakar to do today is to sit down one-on-one without no other person present with governor Wike and agree on deliverables, If possible, sign an agreement,” he said.
“Governor Wike believes that the party should have respected the zoning principle, number two, he believes that zoning would have favoured a southern candidate. Three, he believed that of all the southern aspirants, he is the one that has the capacity to deliver victory to the party.
“Then number four, I believe he thinks he should have been to one to make that presidential candidate.”