A leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Anabs Sara-Igbe, has accused erstwhile Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, sponsored the recent attack on him and others by members of the Grassroots Development Initiatives during a reconciliatory meeting in Abuja.
The National Working Committee of the PDP had set up a reconciliatory committee to visit the states and find out aggrieved members, including those who had left the party and those willing to come back.
The committee was mandated to find out where there were misunderstandings, with a view of making peace for the progress of the party.
Sara-Igbe who was the former Chief Security Adviser to former governor Peter Odili stated that, PDP would be embarking on an “ambiguous adventure” if the party decided to present Wike as its flag bearer in the 2015 governorship election in the state.
GDI was said to have been formed by Wike to actualise his governorship campaign and gather support from Rivers State electorate.
Wike, however, described the allegation as “politics of blackmail,” saying that the case had been resolved by the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu.
Sara-Igbe, who ruled out seeking redress in court on the attack, said the party’s constitution was very clear on issues concerning crisis.
He said, “Wike even started and supervised the attack; he first hit the former Commissioner of Water Resources in Rivers State and the first Administrative Secretary of the PDP in the state.
“Even Alabo Graham Douglas was humiliated and he was among the people that brought the party to Rivers State. He was the one that made both Peter Odili and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to become Governors of Rivers and Bayelsa states (respectively), and made the present President (Goodluck Jonathan) Alamieyeseigha’s Deputy.
“They also shouted at him; there was no respect for him because he had a contrary view. But the good aspect of it was that at the end of the day, after all the things they did, we were still given the opportunity to defend our petitions and we told the committee what happened.”
In his response, Wike exonerated himself, saying the allegations amounted to blackmail to put him in bad light.
His Special Assistant (Special Duties), Mr. Lambert Oparah said, “This is politics of cheap blackmail. The fact is that there was a misunderstanding among some party faithful in Rivers State, which has been peacefully resolved to the satisfaction of all.
“Even the National Chairman of the party has gone to Rivers State to cement the peaceful resolution of the misunderstanding. The claim that Wike supervised the beating of anybody is sheer blackmail.”
