By our reporter| Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday said he pulled out of the reconciliation efforts in Edo PDP in order to save his integrity and has described some members of the national working committee (NWC) of the opposition PDP as “tax collectors”.
The governor made the allegation while reacting to a report that he helped procure the order restraining governor, Godwin Obaseki, from participating in the PDP primary election which was published in a National Newspaper.
Wike’s position was contained in a statement by Paulinus Nsirim, Rivers commissioner for information and communications, who quoted the governor as describing some members of the NWC as tax collectors who will never tell the truth.
The governor who questioned why NWC didn’t consult with governors in the case of Bayelsa, said some members of the NWC are blackmailing him, hence his decision to pull out to in order to save his integrity.
Wike said, “I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along. They must respect human beings and not behave like tax collectors.”
“They said because an order was obtained from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, then I am responsible.
“I have had sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo state. The Governors of Edo, Adamawa, and Delta states, know what I have done to resolve the issues in Edo state.
“As a result of this senseless accusation, I have pulled out of Edo State settlement. My integrity matters. I have also directed my lawyer to write ThisDay Newspaper on the publication they made against me in their Tuesday, 23rd June, 2020 edition.
“I know the members of the National Working Committee of PDP who connived with ThisDay. They are tax collectors. Let them challenge me and I will come out with more facts. Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back.
“I am brought up not to accept injustice, and that is why I keep speaking out on national issues. Nobody in PDP can intimidate Rivers State.
“Nobody can threaten me because I said things must be done constitutionally. I will always continue to satisfy my conscience. From now on, I want to concentrate on the development of Rivers State.”
Obaseki recently defected to the PDP following his disqualification from participating in the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP granted him a waiver to contest the party’s governorship primaries, a move which is currently being litigated in court by some aggrieved members.
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