[JUST IN] PDP Crisis: Onoh urges Wike to join Tinubu in govt of national unity

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Enugu state and Spokesman of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu presidential campaign in the southeast, Dr Josef Onoh has pleaded with Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers state to save himself the troubles in the PDP and join as a patron to the campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on moral grounds and to the greater good of Nigeria.

Onoh stated that with the status of Governor Wike as a statesman, he cannot afford to be left out in the coming government of national unity that will be devoid of political party affiliation, which he said Tinubu will be bringing on board from May 29 2023.

He noted that Wike was a man of character who has continued to insist that agreement and party constitutions should not be breached, noting that with his stand on the PDP crisis, the Rivers State Governor enjoys the support of all progressives nationwide.

Onoh however faulted the statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba who said that the PDP lifted Wike from obscurity, countering that in the other way round, it was the Rivers state Governor that saved the PDP from the brink of collapse, adding that Governor Wike remains the only ‘hurricane, thunder and lightning’ of the PDP and whose present view on the PDP has placed some leaders of the party on the edge of moral burden.

In a statement he issued, on Saturday, Onoh said: “I urge Wike to apply his political sagacity, his wisdom, since our party the PDP has grossly offended him and betrayed his trust and zeal as a stabilizing force of the PDP, but since the party has betrayed the hands that fed it, I urge him to join hands and deliver the southern mandate, in the person of Asiwaju Tinubu.

“This is on the grounds of principle which I thank him for standing up to clarify the issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket vs the continued northern domination of the PDP. I urge him to join Asiwaju to form a government of National unity that will promote Nigeria and benefit everybody.

“Asiwaju is the only presidential candidate that has earned building a united Nigeria devoid of any sentiment but for the best interest of the country. Therefore, I urge Wike to join hands with Tinubu to enthrone a government of national unity for the interest of Nigerians. I urge him to stand on the same principle of producing a southern president. Looking at the dynamics, and going by Jagaban’s advice of ‘follow who know road.’ I urge Wike now that the light is still shining at its brightest to come and join Aiwaju in building a government of national unity.

“The Asiwaju government is not interested in partisan politics, sentiments, but politics that focuses on the liberation of Nigeria and propelling her to a greater height. To achieve this, it has to be a collective government, cutting across political party affiliations. The sole aim is to bring in the change that we have so much talked about but not yet actualized.

“On Ologunagba saying that Wike cannot abandon a party that lifted him from obscurity, I want to correct that impression because PDP did not lift Wike from obscurity; rather, Wike resuscitated PDP from hunger and starvation. PDP needs Wike more than Wike needs PDP; Wike is the current PDP that we all see. Most of those shouting PDP are not contributors but I contributed to the N14 billion as a governorship aspirant.

“So I urge Wike to come and join us in building a government of national unity. Asiwaju is the answer, he knows the road, Asiwaju is the Google map, let us follow the Google map to get to our destination. On the issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket, we are not coming to build churches and mosques in Nigeria; rather we are coming to serve. Service to humanity does not prioritize religion and is blinded by ethnicity.

“I also stand on Wike’s position that Ayu must resign. As a former aspirant under PDP, I do not want to talk about the extortion the party took us into its voyage, but this is a time for us to salvage and make peace. Let us unite in healing the wounds of a nation and let this support for the Asiwaju presidency be a foundation and lasting solution to greater peace and prosperity for our nation.”