A former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has reacted to Gov Wike’s outbursts against PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus.
Okupe who took to his Facebook page said, “ I had to call high ranking members of the PDP who attended fmr Gov Imoke’s party in Calabar, to confirm what the media reported as haven been said by Gov Wike at the party.
“To openly castigate the National Chairman at a public function is not an act of bravery. It is reckless, indecent, irresponsible and unacceptable.
“Governor Wike is justifiably entitled to his opinion about the National Chairman and by law is free to express such. But by convention such criticisms should be reserved by mature minds for the appropriate fora like the NEC meeting of the party where the matter can be copiously and freely debated and the chairman will also have his right to respond.
“Personally I will also not ordinarily take on a person of the stature of Gov Wike in the party, who is a major shining light and perhaps the lonely voice that has kept opposition alive in the nation and whose sterling performance as a governor is an enigmatic object of pride to the party.
“But I have observed that there are too many anomalies and practices which are alien to party politics which are being thrown to the upcoming young ones as the norm.
“I believe I have the right and the merit to call our members to order irrespective of their status in the party.
“For a fact my own contemporaries in the political hierarchy of Rivers State are fmr Govs Rufus Ada George and Peter Odilli. So I am a senior and leader to our indefatigable Gov Wike politically. “Therefore I consider it a duty to intervene at this juncture.
“Castigating the National Chairman in public directly undermines his leadership and put to disrepute his authority. It also diminishes his status before other party members and people in general. It is in fact an incalculable damage to the party’s image itself.
“Even if Gov Wike’s assertions are true, I do not say they are, and if indeed there is a need to change the party leadership as being canvassed by some, it must be through a well thought out plan and arrangement.
“If the truth must be told, the Secondus administration did the party proud before and during the last elections. And in spite of the great odds the party faced the current leadership increased our governors by about 3 or 4. Even this alone must count for something.
“We cannot and should not force out this current leadership. We must seat in our CLOSETS as politicians and critically assess and analyse how and where we stand currently in national politics and public considerations before we begin to talk of changing leadership. And if we must change leadership it must be in amity not in a battle mode or with intention to disgrace. That will be bad politics and will cause further internal disenchanted leading to more defections.
“For now I enjoin my faithful brother and friend governor Wike to accept wrong as he also preached in his speech and apologise to Prince Secondus and to the party in general.
“These are my honest views but I stand to be corrected.
“GOD BLESS.
