Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has been in the news lately because of the internal crisis rocking the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
He appears not to be happy with the leadership style of Uche Secondus although he supported him to emerge as the National Chairman of the PDP at the 2017 national convention of the party.
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Yesterday, PDP stakeholders met again to resolve the crisis rocking the party and they decided that Secondus should continue as the National Chairman of the PDP while the PDP convention be brought forward from December to October.
Some people have wondered why PDP stakeholders want to pacify Wike when he is not the only PDP Governor in Nigeria.
In my opinion, PDP needs Wike hence the efforts of the party stakeholders to appease him.
If Wike decides to leave PDP because of Secondus, the party may not remain the same. We will discuss why I think so in this article.
1)The PDP may find it difficult to fund its activities
Nyesom Wike as the Governor of Rivers State is a major financial supporter of the PDP. That’s why the party is eager to massage his ego.
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Wike paid the salary arrears of PDP staff who work at the Wadata Plaza after Ali Modu Sheriff was sacked by the Supreme Court as the National Chairman of the PDP.
He paid for the court cases which the PDP filed in 2016 that led to the removal of Sheriff. The 2019 PDP presidential primary election would not have been a success without his support.
Recall that PDP is an opposition party that lost many of its members to the APC after the 2015 presidential election and is likely to need financial support.
2)PDP may lose 2023 governorship election in Rivers State
Rivers State has been the political base of PDP since 2015 when it N8 an opposition party. Wike fought the APC led federal government to ensure that PDP is the ruling party in Rivers State.
If he defects to another political party, the PDP may find it difficult to win Rivers State. This is because Wike will want his new political party to win the 2023 governorship election in the oil-rich Rivers State.
Read Also : PDP Crisis: More National Officers Set To Resign, BoT, Govs To Meet Over Secondus’ Fate Monday
As an incumbent governor, he can mobilise resources to achieve it to show the PDP that he is a popular politician.
But I don’t see Wike leaving the PDP because of Secondus. He and Secondus are loyal PDP members.
