Rita Odafe
At an event, Nyesom Wike, the governor of River state, mocked his fellow members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for leading protesters to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in protest of alleged irregularities that marred the presidential election. He referred to them as a “students’ union” chanting “aluta continua” and said he was enjoying a 40-year-old whiskey while they were marching. Wike went on to say that he and his friends were sitting down and drinking the whiskey while watching the protest on television. He then questioned what the party had become, saying it had taken on the role of a students’ union.
The rift between Wike and the party began after he failed to secure the presidential ticket of the PDP. As a precondition for resolving the rift, Wike and his allies demanded that Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the party, step down. However, Ayu responded by calling those who wanted him out of office “children”.
