The Presidency has vowed not to take sides and support any attempt to frustrate the Rivers State government.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, who was reacting to the raging political crisis in the oil-rich state during a live programme, stated that the Nigerian leader has sounded it to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and others that he would not back any party in the power struggle.
He said: “I believe that anyone who believes that by their actions, whether it’s from the federal, state levels or the legislative branch in the state or the executive branch in the state would get Mr President’s backing will be disappointed.
“Mr President will not do that. What he will do is to ensure that everybody has what they need to work.
“He will also ensure that any attempt to frustrate the operation of the Rivers State Government of conducting its affairs in a way that it would benefit the Rivers people, that’s obviously not going to be allowed by this President or anybody else.
“So, I think there’s a need for all stakeholders to understand that Mr. President won’t take sides.”
BESIDES, the spokesperson for former Vice President Paul Ibe, has insisted that Wike, and not his principal, frustrated Peter Obi out of the party before the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Abubakar and Obi were PDP and Labour Party (LP) standard-bearers in the poll.
The media aide said his boss supported zoning of the presidential ticket to the Southeast, but Wike allegedly worked against it.
Obi, who was the vice-presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 polls, later dumped the party and embraced the LP to become a force to reckon with.
Since both opposition parties lost to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP is yet to resolve its internal wrangling.
In an interview on Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast, Ibe stated: “Atiku did not force Peter Obi out of the party, Wike was instrumental to the exit of Obi because Wike had promoted the zoning of the presidency to the south.”
“Atiku Abubakar had said he was prepared to get himself off the ticket if the party zoned the ticket to the Southeast.
“Wike frustrated that effort because he believed that if it was zoned to the south, not the Southeast, he would be in the best position to get the ticket.”
