Nigerian politicians are like famished baboons set loose in a banana plantation —Afegbua

Former spokesperson to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kassim Afegbua, on Friday said the ongoing crisis rocking the opposition party resulted from injustice.

Afegbua made the claim during a Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, monitored by Ripples Nigeria, where he also lamented that politics in Nigeria was becoming colourless by the day.

Afegbua further stated that Nigerian politicians act like a bunch of hungry baboons set loose into a banana plantation, as they were just grabbing anything they could lay their hands on.

Afegbua was reacting to the crisis in the PDP triggered by call for the resignation of its national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

The fisticuffs in the opposition seem to have reached a tipping point with some members of the party, including Bode George and Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers state, demanding the immediate resignation of the Ayu, in the interest of regional fairness.

They claimed that it was against the norm of the party for the presidential candidate, national chairman and BoT chairman to come from one region.

Afegbua, who touched on some of these issues in the interview, blamed the crisis on the party’s inability to be transparent and fair.

He stressed that he withdrew his membership from the party following its inability to respect the zoning principles.

Read also: ‘Ayu single-handedly picked Gov Okowa,’ Afegbua claims PDP set to boil

The former commissioner thus took a swipe at the National Chairman of the party, demanding his immediate resignation in the interest of equity and fairness.

Afegbua said: “Ayu defected to APC and those children he was talking about helped build the party including the presidential candidate. In Nigerian politics, the players are like famished baboons let into a plantation grabbing anything that is edible.

“The PDP is in two factions; one is with Wike, the other is with Ayu. And if you look at when Shekarau was received, you will not see those who support Wike such as Makinde, Ortom and co. They have maintained a kind of conspiratorial silence over the issues.

“Should the Chairman remain in the North after the Presidential candidate emerged from the North, considering Ayu’s pledge to leave if it happens? The PDP is stronger in the south and the party cannot play with the region.

“When you plant injustice, you will reap injustice. Ayu pledged to resign once a Northern candidate emerges so why is he refusing to leave?”

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