2023 Election: Ignoring Wike is dangerous - Tinubu’s strong ally tells PDP

Former governor of Enugu state, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani has called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to ignore Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike, the Vanguard newspaper reported.

Legit.ng gathered that Governor Wike and other four other serving governors of the PDP were absent from the presidential campaign, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani has urged the leadership of the PDP to take caution in handling the matters of the aggrieved PDP members.

According to Senator Nnamani, their absence spells discouragement and could prove costly for the party ahead of the 2023 general election.

In a statement signed by Senator Nnamani, he warned the PDP hierarchies to be mindful of their actions and that isolating the aggrieved party bigwigs will affect the interest of the party.

He said: “Today, I go on record in total condemnation of the treatment of the five governors mostly from the southern states within the PDP. The Governors are our leaders and their humiliation rubs off on all of us.”

He noted that it would be “sheer arrogance" the part of the party leadership to ignore a critical group of five sitting Governors.

The PDP stalwart said: “Today, I go on record in total condemnation of the treatment of the five governors mostly from the southern states within the PDP. The Governors are our leaders and their humiliation rubs off on all of us.”

He recalled that state Governors were not treated with ignominy during his days. He further cautioned the party against erecting parallel structures in the five affected states saying: “Politics is local and the folks from these affected states parading with the PDP leadership will not deliver their polling booths without the Governors.

“Without the involvement of the Governors that are our leaders, these mere cheerleaders and feel-good political operatives cannot deliver."

He further said: “They can drag themselves from their home states to Abuja. Some are Abuja permanent residents. They dress the meetings and Colour the rallies, but that is what it is, political colour dressing."

Wike and four of his colleagues namely: Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Okezie Ikpeazu(Abia) and their supporters were conspicuously absent at the Atiku Abubakar/ Ifeanyi Okowa flagged off presidential campaigns in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, on Monday.