The Director of Strategic Communications of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, has warned four Governors elected on the platform of the party who are engaged in a face-off with the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, not to cross the lines.
Momodu, the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, issued the warning in an interview he granted Vanguard Newspaper.
The Eagle Online recalls that the party has been enmeshed in crisis since the emergence of Abubakar as its presidential candidate and failure of the National Chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, to resign as he earlier promised to do if a Northerner like him emerges as the presidential flag bearer.
Those vehemently opposed to Abubakar, and who have been Christened G5, are the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom; Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; and Enugu State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Reacting to the crisis in the interview with Vanguard Newspaper, Momodu said there was nothing wrong with fighting within a party, but that the Governors were taking it too far.
He said: “People get angry, there is nothing wrong in that, they have every reason to be angry, but they should not cross certain lines.”
When asked if the position of Ortom on some of the issues were wrong, he replied: “He is carrying it too far.
“He is a man I like so much.
“Of course it is wrong to label him (Atiku) an agent of Miyetti Allah.
“You can say anything about Atiku Abubakar but calling him an agent of Miyetti Allah, I disagree vehemently with that.
“It is wrong.
“If you don’t want to support a man, it is very easy to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, but it is wrong to disparage a man who has served his country meritoriously, who has done everything he could for every part of this country; but because you are playing politics, disagree with him, you will use such weighty words against him?
“Well, there is always another time.”
Vanguard Newspaper then asked: If words are weighty, but are true…
Momodu replied: “That is what I am telling you, that even Governor Wike, who is supposed to be the angriest of them all because he participated in our primary, has not used such word against Atiku.
“I give him credit.
“In getting angry, in trying not to work for him, if that is their decision, let us conduct ourselves well.
“People get angry, there is nothing wrong in that, they have every reason to be angry, but they should not cross certain lines.
“I have written in the last couple of months to Governor Wike, the closest to me among them, because I call him the ‘poster boy in PDP’, great guy, doing very well, advising him not to cross certain lines.
“That night, he called, we spoke briefly and we continued to respect his opinion but I will continue to appeal, don’t destroy the bridge you crossed because you don’t know whether you will need that bridge again, if you don’t need it, a member of your family might need it.”
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