Wike absent at PDP Bauchi retreat, fuels decampment rumour

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike,
was conspicuously absent at a one-day retreat for elected officials under the
Peoples Democratic Party which is ongoing at the Banquet Hall, Government House
in Bauchi State.

Some of the dignitaries present at the retreat are:
Governors of Adamawa – Umaru Fintiri; Bayelsa – Duoye Diri; Bauchi – Bala
Mohammed; Delta – Sheriff Oborevwori; Osun – Ademola Adeleke; Oyo – Seyi
Makinde; Rivers – Siminalayi Fubara; Plateau – Caleb Mutfwang; Taraba – Agbu
Kefas; Zamafara – Dauda Dare and Edo – Godwin Obaseki (was represented by his
deputy, Philip Shuaibu).

Others are: the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Atiku
Abubakar; National Working Committee of the party led by the Acting National
Chairman, Umar Damagum; Chairman, Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara; former
PDP National Chairman, Ahmed Makarfi; former Board of Trustees Chairman, Walid
Jibril; former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu; former Chairman, Nigeria
Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal; Kogi State Governorship Candidate, Dino
Melaye.

Also in attendance are: serving Senators and House of
Representatives members, many of whom came alongside the Senators-elect and
House of Representatives-elected members.

The Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State
Legislatures of Nigeria, who is also the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of
Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman was also sighted at the parley among others.

Similarly, several lawmakers under the Labour Party, the
Young Progressives Party and other opposition minority parties were
conspicuously present at the event.

However, Wike, who led four governors – Makinde of Oyo;
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu; Samuel Ortom of Benue and Ikpeazu of Abia, to form
the G-5 Governors, was clearly not in attendance at the meeting and he didn’t
sent a representative to stand-in for him at the parley.

No official reason has been given for Wike’s absence yet,
but, there are strong talks that he, (Wike), has dumped the PDP, being the
party under which platform he was elected as Rivers State Governor for eight
years, to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Those who accuse him of dumping the party refer to his
repeated and growing chumming relationship with the APC leadership. They also
point to the abysmal performance of the PDP in the Presidential election in
Rivers State.

Wike though has denied leaving the PDP for the APC, as he
has insisted that he is still in the opposition party.

Meanwhile, the Acting National Chairman of the Party,
Damagum, explained that the idea behind inviting members of the minority
opposition party “is to form a formidable and united force as it concerns the
National Assembly leadership.”