Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, says assisting Ali-Modu Sheriff to the position of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is one of the worst decisions he has made in his political career.
Wike and Ayo Fayose, his Ekiti state counterpart, had backed Sheriff, but they soon fell out with him.
This degenerated into a series of lawsuits that culminated in the recent affirmation of Sheriff as PDP chairman by an appeal court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
Reacting to the development during an interview on Sunday Politics, which aired on Channels Television, Wike said he regretted bringing Sheriff into the fold of PDP.
The governor said the PDP would file for a stay of execution on the appeal court’s decision, adding that afterwards, an appeal will be filed at the supreme court.
The governor said he was shocked by the ruling and maintained that Sheriff had no good intention for the opposition party.
“I do believe that even in life, even as human beings, there are times for setbacks, and challenges. What has happened to us is a temporary setback,” he said.
“I will not support anything that has to do with Sheriff. I know that he doesn’t mean well for the party.
“He’s a mole in the party. His antecedents tell you that there are people behind who are not members of the party, who do not want PDP to exist.
“I’m not new in this game. Even the characters around him, they don’t augur well for the party.
“That is one of the worst political decisions I’ve ever taken. In life, when you take a decision and you realise that you made a mistake. In that decision you made, there is nothing stopping you from saying, ‘I’ve made a mistake, I think we can correct it’.
“Frankly, I have never regretted any decision I’ve taken than this decision. Politically, we have seen his conduct. It has shown that he does not mean well for the party. It will be difficult for me to work with him. That is clear. I don’t have that confidence that he can lead the party.”
