* Urges discipline of erring deputy
* PDP chastises APC over inability to do anything right
* INEC adds to APC’s burden
Governor Nyesom Wike says the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, must take serious steps to discipline the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu.
Speaking in Port Harcourt Saturday, the Rivers Governor expressed shock at the threat issued to the PDP by Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Deputy.
Apparently furious, Wike said the warning issued to the party by someone who literarily begged to be given a ticket on its platform, was totally untenable.
He urged the leadership of the party to invoke stiff disciplinary measures, saying that the party cannot tolerate acts of indiscipline in its fold.
The Rivers Governor said Shaibu had no right whatsoever to threaten the party that offered him an umbrella when he was under the rain.
He wondered where the third force was when the decision to approach the PDP was made by the group that he belongs .
Wike said he would move strongly for the discipline of the erring Deputy Governor and the protection of ideals which distinguishes the PDP from the rest.
Meanwhile, there has been no reaction to the comments credited to the Deputy Governor from the PDP.
But the party has asked Nigerians to be very watchful of the actions of the APC as the countdown to 2023 General Elections begin.
The party said it is determined to rescue Nigerians from the visionless and clueless leadership being offered by the APC.
It said on its Twitter handle, “We call on Nigerians to remain at alert and hopeful as our Party takes decisive steps to democratically take over governance in 2023 in our mission to Rescue and Rebuild our nation from the rudderless, vicious, clueless and visionless APC.
The PDP further urged Nigerians to note that “the APC by its actions has commenced an inevitable descent into self-inflicted political extinction.”
Although the PDP did not give out specific details, political observers believe that the party’s reference to self inflicted extinction is heavily anchored on what looks like a cancerous sore that is eating up the intestinal walls of the APC.
Barely 13 days to go, signals emanating from the ranks of the APC do not suggest that March 26 is realisable.
The Port Harcourt Telegraph had earlier reported that the convention might be shifted to a later date.
INEC which said the APC did not issue the appropriate notice within the 21-day corridor allowed by law appears to have authenticated the report by the Telegraph that the APC may be forced to shift the date of its National Convention.
INEC has raised another issue over who should be signatories to documents that are coming from the APC to its doorstep.
In the meantime, a fierce battle is being fought between forces that are loyal to the Governor Mai Bala Buni of Yobe State and those that are aligned to Governor Sani Bello of Niger State over who should qualify as the authentic Chairman of the Caretaker Committee.
The Punch has reported that there are about 208 cases filed by APC members against one another and the party.
All of these pose a herculean task for the APC which may run a risk of not fielding candidates if the internal strife continues.