Wike dares Gov Amaechi to leave PDP

The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has said the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, should carry out his threat to leave the Peoples Democratic Party.

Wike, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, also faulted the governor’s claim that he (the minister) betrayed him.

He said he was the rallying point for  Amaechi’s supporters at the PDP governorship primaries in 2006.

The governor was denied the PDP governorship ticket in 2006, but was proclaimed the PDP candidate by a judgment of the Supreme Court in 2007.

Wike said he led  the struggle  to ensure that Amaechi regained  his mandate.

The governor, had at the 60th birthday of a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Joe Okocha, described Wike and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative, Mr. Austin Opara, as betrayers.

He also threatened to dump the PDP, if he was “suffocated” in the party.

Amaechi said, “I lead the people of Rivers State and I will lead you. If they suffocate us in PDP and we need to move, we move!”

But dismissing the governor’s threat on Wednesday, the minister said, “I don’t observe fasting; I have started fasting so that he would leave the PDP. Let us meet in the field. Let us convince the Rivers State people. Let him leave the PDP; he is getting too late. Let him leave now. Let us meet at the election.”