Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday mocked the former National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Uche Secodus for celebrating the vote of confidence passed on his successor, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, by the party’s National Executive Committee.
The governor said no amount of confidence vote would save Ayu from being ousted from the position.
Wike stated this at a reception for over 90 defectors from various political parties into the PDP in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The governor said Secondus seemed to have forgotten in a hurry that it was not the first time a sitting national chairman was removed after a vote of confidence was passed in him.
Wike said a new strategy will be adopted for the coming political season in which political ‘bigmen’ will be replaced with people who are domicile among their people in various communities.
He said, “I was watching, listening. They say there is one man called Secondus. They say he was dancing and celebrating that NEC gave their person a vote of confidence. He forgets history.
“Ask him, the same NEC through Aliyu Babaginda, who moved a motion for vote of confidence supported by the same person, Ndude Elumelu. They gave him a vote of confidence. What happened? He left the office.
“We don’t fight and go back. If you like, you can have as many as 20 votes of confidence, it is not my business. My business and my team is to make sure the right thing is done.
“And the right thing must be done, whether today or tomorrow. So, let nobody worry him or herself. If you are dancing, come home and dance. Come and mobilise for the person you think will win the election.”
He challenged Secondus to return home and mobilise support for the candidate he was supporting for the 2023 elections.
“We are here; I am here waiting for him. No more 419 in this game, no more 419 in this state. We have stopped all these 419 people. Enough is enough.
“You people should go home and rest. We know we are already waiting for the day set by INEC for them to blow the whistle. When they blow the whistle, we will know those who are in charge of Rivers State and those who are mere visitors to the state.
“You know we have those in Rivers State and those who come from Abuja. We stay here as those of us from Rivers State Monday to Sunday. Visitors come Friday and go back on Sunday,” he added.
While welcoming the defectors, he described them as the pillars that did the underground work in their former parties, urging them to bring in similar level of energy for the PDP to win all elective positions in the state.
Earlier, the state Chairman of the PDP, Desmond Akawor, said, “Your Excellency, what you are seeing here is just symbolic through the three senatorial districts, because this stage cannot contain all of them. From the various parties, they are still coming.
“We will continue to receive the decampees as they come through our local government chairman.”
Among the over 90 defectors were a member Board of Trustees of the APC, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, who hails from Opobo/Nkoro LGA, former commissioner for Sports, Fred Igwe from Eleme LGA and former commissioner for Transport, George Tolofari.
