Wike Challenges Umahi To Debate Over His Reasons For Defecting, Allegations Against PDP

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Wednesday challenged his Ebonyi State counterpart Dave Umahi, to a debate over the reasons he gave for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Wike threw the challenge during his appearance on Politics Today, a day after Umahi confirmed his much-speculated defection.

The Rivers State governor was unhappy with the actions of Umahi in the build-up to his defections and his claims that there is injustice in the PDP and more opportunities for consultations in the APC among other things.

Asked if the PDP is willing to make some adjustments to allow room for better consultations, Wike ruled himself out of such a move insisting that no such problem exists in the party.

“Let me tell you one thing, assuming the party even wants to do that, I won’t be a party to it. Nobody threatens anybody because you want to get something,” he said.

Read Also: Wike Slams Umahi, Says Nobody Should Have To Threaten Anyone Just For Personal Gain

According to him, Umahi’s comment means he has been working with the APC.

“If he has not been working with the APC, how will he know there is more room for consultation in APC than in PDP? The point remains that Umahi knows and I challenge him to a debate and I will tell him I am not saying that he shouldn’t be a president. Nobody is God to say who will be President and who will not be President. It is God. “But the point everybody is making is ‘when did you consult Ohanaeze Ndigbo?’ ‘When did you consult the leadership of the South-East Peoples Democratic Party?”.

“This so-called injustice you are talking about; you were chairman of the party under PDP – there was no injustice. You were deputy governor under the party – there was no injustice. You were governor for four years before, there was no injustice.

“Now you are a second-term governor, you are realizing there is injustice for the presidency. Has PDP come out to say we are zoning Presidency to A or B for you now to say, ‘Yes, having done this against my people I will go here because these people have zoned it to us. Since they have zoned it to us, I will move to that place (party) because I am a man that wants to fight for my people. So, on what basis can you now say there is injustice?”.

Watch The Full Interview Below.