Capt Tunji Shelle, the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, has given reasons it remained difficult to suspend or expel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike from the PDP

Shelle, in an interview on the political situation in Rivers State and Nigeria in general, said while the PDP is ready and already reconciling and mending fences ahead of further elections, certain elements in the party, including some in the National Working Committee (NWC) were still in bed with the former Rivers State governor, making his suspension or expulsion difficult even when it was obvious that the former governor had derailed, accusing the minister of working with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to undermine the main opposition party, particularly in Rivers State, where the PDP holds sway.

“The PDP is ready to work together and speak with one voice but the likes of the Federal Capital Territory minister who puts one leg in PDP and the other leg in APC is an issue. How do you reconcile a party in that way? And he is still influencing individuals who are within the PDP. He is still influencing some individuals within the National Working Committee of the PDP.

“These are the things APC is doing, planting bombs inside another party. So some people in the PDP might have compromised somewhere. Some people are working with him even within the party. Until a position is taking to suspend or expel him from the party, nothing will work but I am sure some people are already working on this.

“He should know that if you are the Federal Capital Territory Minister, concentrate on your area and don’t come and help another person to govern his state. Because somebody has done that in his own state doesn’t mean he can do it in Rivers. But we are watching and we will see where it will lead Nigeria to,” he said.

The PDP chieftain also blamed the crisis in his party partly to the emergence of the enlarged Labour Party, saying it also created a room for issues in the once ruling party, however believing that if the LP and PDP could come together as one, they would be able to check the APC.

“Also, unfortunately the relationship between those who left the PDP for Labour has also affected the fortunes of the PDP. The hope is that the two parties (LP and PDP) will come together to be able to effectively face this APC,” Shelle said.(Daily Independent)