The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has dismissed claims that his principal is trying to destroy the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television, Olayinka insisted that Wike’s fight with PDP is to uphold Justice.
He pointed out that most of the issues Wike raised regarding PDP’s leadership have been accepted by the party despite initial resistance.
He said: “The Minister has continually maintained that he remains in PDP. I said it here, the last time I was here, I asked this question, everything the minister had complained about, every of his position about PDP, which of them has the party not come back to accept?
“When he came up with the issue of Damagum, that Damagum should rightfully remain the PDP chairman, these same people said no and at the end of the day, did they not come back to make Damagum chairman?
“The issue of Samuel Anyanwu, the national secretary of the party, that they brought one person from Maiduguri to come and be national secretary. They said no that Wike was doing it because he was against the party, because he was against this and that.
“Supreme Court gave judgment and the party refused to obey it. At the end of the day, what did the party come back to agree on? The same position of Wike.
“See, you can hate Wike, you can hate me Lere Olayinka but can you hate the position of your party, of the constitution of your party? Because you always talk about it is internal affairs. Internal affairs, yes, but you must operate in accordance with your constitution.”
Highlighting the Abuja Federal High Court ruling that restrained the PDP from going ahead with its National convention, Olayinka said the party has already zoned its presidential ticket.
He said: “Look at the case of yesterday, in which another was given to restrain the party from going ahead with the national convention. You want to hold national convention and you have zoned positions, PDP does not zone position to North Central, Northeast, Northwest, or Southwest, Southeast. PDP only do North and South zoning.”
Dismissing claims that Wike was responsible for the crisis within the PDP, Olayinka wondered if the Minister was behind the inability of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido not getting his nomination form after he had paid.
He said: “A former governor, one of the founding fathers of the PDP, Sule Lamido, paid to obtain nomination form to contest for national chairman. After paying, they refused to release nomination form to him. Did Wike cause that one? Is it part of the function of the PDP to refuse to release the nomination form to people who have paid?
Even if you have positions, even if you have somebody that you want, it has always happened in the past. You should allow people to freely express their right to contest.”
