UPDATED: Drama as Joe Igbokwe pulls down post on ‘Wike visiting Tinubu in France’
The end to the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from over if what Joe Igbokwe, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, said on Thursday is anything to go by.
Gov Nyesom Wike
In what came as a surprise to many on Thursday night, Joe Igbokwe, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, pulled down a Facebook post on two leading political figures in Nigeria.
Igbokwe had posted that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who lost the presidential ticket of the opposition party to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar met with the ruling party Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in France.
Some Social Media users had dismissed Igbokwe’s claim and demanded pictorial evidence.
However, moments after Igbokwe’s post went viral, it was no longer found on his page.
Daily Trust had reported how Tinubu departed for France after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday morning.
Some hours after Tinubu left the country, Wike released pictures where he was seen vacationing with his Abia counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu, in Turkey.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Igbokwe claimed that Wike visited Tinubu in France.
“While they are on social media abusing everybody, Governor Wike goes to France to meet Asiwaju. Abuse, calling names, hate, and bigotry are no strategy. They hated and abused PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) since 2015 and now they have transferred the aggression to Asiwaju. We wait and see,” he wrote.
Daily Trust could not independently verify Igbokwe’s claim as efforts made to get reactions from the camps of Tinubu and Wike did not yield results. There were no responses to calls and text messages.
Igbokwe is a strong ally of Tinubu, who worked with the APC Presidential Candidate when he was governor of Lagos State and has worked in every other administration in Lagos to date. He currently serves as an aide of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Wike has been at loggerheads with the PDP since he lost the presidential ticket to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
He had given the Vice-Presidential slot a shot but Atiku overlooked him and settled for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta.
Some PDP stakeholders had recommended Wike as Atiku’s running mate but the PDP Presidential Candidate stood his ground.
The development had degenerated into a full-blown disagreement among party leaders with some calling for the ouster of the national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
Former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State in a tweet on Wednesday demanded power shift to the South, saying it would be unfair for a Northerner to step into office after Buhari’s eight years.
Hours before Fayose’s tweet, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State had said Wike would have been a better running mate to Okowa.
He also said he was still praying and fasting to know if God wanted him to support Atiku or not.
Commenting on the PDP crisis earlier on Thursday, Atiku had said efforts were bring made to resolve grievances of party members.
“The Peoples Democratic Party will remain united. Focus on our actions. We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members. The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.”
“Every Governor, Legislator, and other elected officials produced by our party, and party members and loyalists, are much loved and respected by me. When they speak, I listen. I do not only listen. Appropriate actions have been taken, are being taken, and will continue to be advanced.”