Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, lambasted the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Col. Austin Akobundu, retd, accusing him of destroying the party in Abia because of his selfish interest.
Wike, who took the retired soldier to the cleaners when he featured on an AIT programme, accused Akobundu of chasing the lawmaker representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Mr. Sam Onuigbo, out of the PDP.
Both Akobundu and Onuigbo are from Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State but different political wards.
Wike, who expressed bitterness over selfish tendencies and greed of some NWC members, accused Akobundu of chasing Onuigbo out of PDP over his (Akobundu’s) alleged governorship ambition.He said: “All you want is you, you, you. How will you deny a National Assembly member his ward executive because you are running for governorship and you feel he may not likely support you?“
“I mean a NASS member was denied his ward. I say ward executive, not even local government executive, and that guy has now left the party because you want to run for governorship and you believe he may not likely support you. For Christ’s sake, what is ward executive?
How can ward executive deny you of your governorship ambition?
“Now you have made us lose that member because of your selfish interest.
“How can I, as a governor, have a senator and I will deny him the executive in his ward probably because I feel that that senator wants to run for governorship?
“What is wrong if a senator wants to run for governorship? Does having his ward executive confer governorship on him?”
However, in a swift reaction, the Ikwuano PDP caucus berated Wike, asking him to stop advertising his ignorance of the subject matter.
Chairman of the caucus, Rear Admiral Ralph Osondu, retd, said that Onuigbo was not chased out of the PDP by Akobundu but left the party on his own volition, probably on wrong advice.
The caucus, which denied any knowledge of Akobundu’s governorship ambition, advised Wike to “restrict himself to the political affairs of Rivers State and stop dabbling into issues he is not properly informed about in other states.”Osondu said: “Abia has a sitting governor who is the leader of the party in the state.
Nyesom Wike should stop interfering in the political affairs of Ikwuano LGA in particular and Abia State in general.”Caucus members at the press conference included the LGA Chairman, Chief Stephen Mpamugo; for-mer Commissioner for Housing, Theophilus Ugboaja; Chief Anthony Osuwa; Ngozi Orji; Elder Henry Nwoha, among others