Speculations have emerged that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), is in a dilemma over plots to expel the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, from the party.
TrackNews Media understands that while some party chieftains have suggested that Wike should be left alone to resign willingly from the party, others insist the party should expel him, especially with his recent nomination as minister by President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that the PDP leadership held a meeting last weekend where discussions on how to expel Wike reportedly came up.
However, the party on Monday announced Wike as a member of its Campaign Council for the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Even though Wike had hitherto said he would never take up a ministerial position. Still, many believe his nomination by the president is a way of backing his instrumental role in the victory of Tinubu during the election.
Speaking to that effect, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, said Wike’s ministerial nomination was “compensation” for his role in Tinubu’s victory at the 2023 presidential election.
Ogunlewe said: “It is so easy to decipher. If you are following the development that cumulated in the last election, you would know the role Wike played, and you must give him compensation for that role.”
Even though many have criticized Wike for the ministerial appointment, some PDP chieftains insist that expelling him would worsen the crisis within the party.
A former PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Dirun Odeyemi, submitted that expelling Wike would not be in the party’s best interest.
Odeyemi told Daily Post that expelling Wike would lead to the departure of some governors from the party.
He explained that “They know the right thing to do at the right time, even though there is an argument for and against, some people believe that Wike’s acceptance and nomination is not new.
“Another school of thought believes that Wike should resign from the party. It will be very difficult to expel him because there is an adage in Yoruba that says when you beat a madman, you will realise that he has relatives.
“It’s not easy to touch Wike because if you expel him, you will be expelling some PDP governors.
“In PDP now, what we should do is to persuade and resolve all the issues within the party.”
