‎The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no moral or legal basis to complain about the conduct of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, urging the ruling party to manage the political consequences of its own actions in Rivers State.
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‎The PDP stated this in Abuja on Tuesday through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Ini Ememobong, while reacting to a public exchange between Wike and the APC National Secretary, Sen. Ajibola Basiru, over political developments in Rivers.
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‎Ememobong said Wike was no longer a member of the PDP, having been expelled alongside his supporters, and accused the APC of knowingly engaging him for political advantage.
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‎According to him, the APC cannot now cry foul over issues arising from a relationship it willingly entered into.
‎“The National Secretary of the APC may genuinely not know who is or is not a member of the PDP and may be relying on outdated information suggesting that Wike was still in the PDP
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‎“Wike was expelled from the PDP, along with his supporters, and that is why we sympathise with the problem the APC has brought upon itself by engaging him.
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‎“They have no moral or legal standing to disown him now,” Ememobong said.
‎He argued that the law did not permit a party to benefit from a wrong it created or to complain about an injury it voluntarily inflicted on itself.
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‎“You cannot complain about an act you willingly undertook. What was once considered an asset has now become a liability, and they must deal with it,” he added.
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‎The PDP spokesman rejected attempts to link the party to the controversy, noting that the same conduct now being criticised was previously applauded by the APC when it appeared to favour the ruling party.
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‎“When this conduct served the interests of the APC, they were jubilating and laughing. This same National Secretary did not complain even once,” he said.
‎Ememobong stressed that issues should be viewed beyond partisan interests, adding that wrong conduct should be called out irrespective of political affiliation.
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‎“As a citizen and as the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, if someone engages in anti-party activities or aligns with another party, I will say clearly that it does not look good.
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‎“Either leave that party and join another openly, or remain independent and declare your support,” he said.
‎He maintained that any political benefits arising from Wike’s actions accrued solely to the APC and that the party must therefore handle the resulting fallout.
‎“What the APC is experiencing is a voluntary injury it inflicted on itself, and it must manage the situation accordingly,” Ememobong said.