The Peoples Democratic Party said it was untrue that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his Ekiti counterpart, Ayodele Fayose, sponsored the party’s April 6 stakeholders’ meeting.
Dayo Adeyeye, the Publicity Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, stated this at news conference on Friday in Abuja.
The Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, had at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday alleged that the stakeholders’ meeting convened and chaired by former President Goodluck Jonathan was sponsored by both governors.
Ojougboh, who claimed to be speaking for the PDP National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, alleged that Wike spent N50 million to host the meeting.
Adeyeye said the committee would have ignored the allegations since Ojougboh was not an officer of the PDP, but stated that doing so may send wrong signals to unsuspecting members of the public.
He said the PDP was not surprised that Ojougboh would hallucinate and find pleasure in castigating the two governors at every turn.
He said it was unfortunate that Ojougboh had never been able to utter a single word of criticism against his “paymaster, the ruling party”.
Adeyeye recalled that the meeting was agreed at the residence of former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau, in the presence of Sheriff, Prof. Wale Oladipo, Senator David Mark, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ben Obi.
Adeyeye said: “In the light of the above, therefore, it is uncharitable for Ojougboh to allege that the stakeholders meeting was organized and sponsored by Wike and Fayose.
“Indeed, it is the height of indecency for Sheriff and Ojougboh to allege that a person of Jonathan’s standing could be induced by anyone, not the least a governor, to organize the meeting.”
Adeyeye said indecency was the nature of Ojougboh and his sponsors, adding that it was the reason they had no qualms in dragging decent people into mud.
He also denied Ojougboh’s allegation that Wike bribed the judiciary with $5 million to get justice on the Rivers State governorship election at the Supreme Court.
Adeyeye said: “We have been reliably informed that the latest accusation against the judiciary is part of their calculated and clandestine plot to blackmail the justices of the Supreme Court.
“That was what they did to the Justices of the Special Appeal Panel during the Ondo State Gubernatorial Election case.”
He requested the Supreme Court to find out from Ojougboh who among its officers that Wike disbursed the $5 million to as he alleged.
He said: “Let Ojougboh be informed that he cannot pitch the good people of Rivers against their loving and performing governor over his childish and mindless allegation of financial impropriety.”
Adeyeye advised all PDP chapters in the states to ignore any directive regarding holding a National Convention by Sheriff.
He also described the purported National Executive Council meeting being summoned by Sheriff on May 3 as “total fraud, politically and legally”.
He urged chairmen of the states’ chapters of the party to disregard Sheriff’s request for the submission of delegates’ lists on or before April 27.
Adeyeye said PDP would announce meetings of its various organs at an appropriate time after due consultation with all stakeholders.
On ongoing campaign by Sheriff in the South-East and South-South zones, he commended the PDP stakeholders in the regions “for not partaking in such illegality”.
He said: “The presence of the two deputy governors was solely on grounds of hospitality.
“The PDP is not organizing any campaign or rally around the country at the moment.
“We urge our members to remain steadfast and continue to ignore any meeting called by Sheriff.”
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