The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, has postponed the party’s National Working Committee meeting until next week due to rising tensions between former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP Governors Forum over the status of Rivers State party congresses.
During the protracted political dispute between Wike and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the PDP governors sided with Fubara, requesting that the governor be recognized as the PDP’s leader in Rivers State.
The governors’ pronouncement enraged Wike, who told them to stay out of the Rivers situation or he would ‘set fire’ to their states.
But on Tuesday, the PDP Governors’ Forum criticized Wike, calling his warning reckless.
They insisted on maintaining their position, reminding Wike that as Rivers governor, he had the same privileges as the party’s head.
The PDP governors have demanded that the ward and local government congresses held in Rivers State, which provided Wike with the party’s structure, be invalidated and new ones held.
The PDP NWC meeting, which was scheduled for Wednesday and would have allowed for further discussion of the differences between Wike and the governors, did not take place.
According to The PUNCH, despite a court injunction prohibiting the PDP from holding congresses in Rivers State, the Damagum-led NWC held the congress, handing Wike control of the party structure in the state.
Due to increasing tensions and to prevent confrontation at the NWC meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Damagum postponed the meeting until next week.
