PDP rescued Obaseki, deputy from humiliating defeat, Wike speaks harshly amid crisis in party

Amid crisis between the defected members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and foundation members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State over who controls the PDP, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike on Saturday in Portharcourt reminded Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu to remember how he rescued them from humiliating defeat.

Wike’s outburst is at the backdrop of Obaseki and Philip’s defection from the APC to PDP when they were denied a return ticket by the party when Com. Adams Oshiomhole was the National Chairman of the party.

Edo State PDP crisis continue to fester as Chief Dan Orbih leading other members of PDP to control party structure, while also expressing dissatisfaction at the governor’s handling of State affairs with regards to carrying PDP members along.

Reacting to the ill-feeling by some PDP members, the Deputy governor of Edo State had at a rally to welcome the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu to Edo State, threatened that PDP in Edo would lose members if harmonization was not carried out to see them controlling the party structure.

Shaibu feared that allies of his principal were planning to dump PDP if the national leadership does not quickly wade into the crisis and ensure a resolution in their favor.

The statement was considered a height of arrogance by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who fired back at the deputy governor, saying: “deputy governor’s conduct is irresponsible’, while he expressed dismay dismay at the actions of the Governor and his Deputy barely two years after the party rescued them from a humiliating defeat.

Wike wondered, saying, “how could an ordinary deputy governor who lost his local government during the election can be this audacious.”

Rivers governor’s scathing rebuttal was directed at Philip Shaibu than Godwin Obaseki over the crisis of supremacy rocking Edo State PDP.

Meanwhile, the deputy governor earlier disputed Obaseki’s assurances that he would not leave the party, saying that his resolve is conditioned on the continued membership of his “soldiers”, with no pushback from the Governor.

Wike continued: “This the same Deputy Governor (and his boss) that they were kneeling down for us to give them the umbrella. Today he has the effrontery to threaten PDP. Such a shame.”

“These are the same people when they were denied ticket under APC, they were running helter-skelter, begging everybody to give them umbrella and we gave them umbrella; we went and made sure that they won that election, today that Deputy Governor is ranting.”

“A Deputy Governor will come out on national television to tell PDP there are alternatives. I have written to the National Chairman of the party, if they do not constitute a disciplinary committee against the Deputy Governor, I will invoke sections of the party and ensure that they must discipline that Deputy Governor.”

“This is the same person who lost his local government during the election. A Deputy Governor wearing khaki, look at him,” Wike mocked to roaring laughter from his audience.

Wike vowed to give Edo deputy governor trouble he was looking for, asking, “who is his father?”