The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has insisted that no member of its National Working Committee (NWC) sponsored any media publication to malign the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
PDP described such publications as handwork of external forces and its enemies who are bent on sowing seeds of discord within the party.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan also maintained that members of the party’s NWC are not tax collectors.
PDP was reacting to Wike’s decision to pull out of the reconciliation efforts in its Edo State Chapter.
Wike had accused some members of PDP’s NWC of being sycophants and tax collectors who will never tell the truth.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, the governor had said, instead of the NWC to carry everybody along in Edo state, they resorted to using the media to blackmail him.
Wike’s claim was an offshoot of the refusal of some governorship aspirants in the party to step down for the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who recently joined them.
Obaseki had defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC, due to his differences with Adams Oshiomhole, suspended National Chairman of the party.
Reacting, Ologbondiyan, in a statement said the party won’t allow its enemies cause distraction within its fold, ahead of the Edo State governorship election.
The statement reads: “The NWC also wishes to place on record that none of its members has acted like a “tax collector” in whatever meaning the term represents, either in the process leading to the Edo primary election, or any other state.
“Our party holds Governor Wike and indeed all our PDP governors, who, of course, have been the pillars of our great party, with utmost respect and had always consulted them on all party affairs.
“PDP appreciates the efforts and sacrifices of our governors and will not allow enemies of our party, who are out to cause disunity in our fold by sponsoring baseless publications against our leaders, to have their way.”