Rivers Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Nyesom Wike, has berated some PDP aspirants for betraying the party in 2015, saying they do not deserve the party’s presidential ticket for 2023.
Wike, who alluded to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, said some aspirants in the PDP, caused disunity in the party in 2015, formed the new PDP and sold out the party’s goodwill and electoral opportunities.
He spoke when he met Oyo PDP leaders and delegates in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State on Thursday to solicit support ahead of the party’s presidential primary this month.
The Governor said: “The issue is, who are those who made PDP lose the election in 2015 that today we are suffering? Today, we are in opposition and trying to take power back.
“But see what the country has been turned into. Who are those who told Nigerians that President Buhari is a saint, that President Buhari will salvage Nigeria? What is their sense of judgment? Who are those aspirants who abandoned PDP, betrayed PDP, and went to support President Buhari?”
Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, insisted that some PDP presidential aspirants brought President Muhammadu Buhari to power.
He said: “Now we are suffering. People are dying every day. From January to March in Kaduna, over 1000 people have been killed. So many people have been kidnapped.”
The Rivers Governor also alluded to a similar behavior that was demonstrated by a PDP chieftain, who got immersed support of the party in 2019.
Wike said that there was a need for the electorate at all levels to be more concerned about the kind of people they wanted to entrust to the leadership of the country.
He said anyone desiring to govern Nigeria must be firm, and courageous, and should own up to what he said.
“If it was the wrong thing that was said, say I am sorry but I have to say something as a leader. Not when you say something one minute, the next moment you say they didn’t get your approval”, he said.
Wike said PDP and Nigeria did not require theorists, but somebody who had the ability and qualities to offer focused leadership.
He explained that if he became the president of Nigeria, he would put the best of heads together, who would work under good supervision and coordination.
He said: “Nigerians know my views. I believe in restructuring. I believe in the state police. You cannot stop insecurity in this country without state police which is the practice in all countries that run true federalism. Intelligence is key. Before it happens you’ve stopped it or caged them.
“Look at it, 42 people died in train blast, up until now no concrete report. This is a country where a Minister of Transport after people died in such accidents the next day, went and collected forms for the presidency.
“You’re a Minister of Education, schools have closed for how many months, the next thing, the minister went and collected forms for the presidency. I have not seen a country like this, no conscience.”
Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde assured Wike of the support of Oyo and southwest geopolitical zone support.
“If they say Seyi Makinde and the delegates from the southwest of Nigeria are supporting Governor Wike, say there is a reason. When people come to canvass for your vote listen to them, but at the end of the day tell them this is who (Wike) we are supporting,” he said.
Former Ekiti Governor, Ayo Fayose, explained that southwest delegates will be meeting in Ibadan before the PDP national convention to decide on who to support.
According to Fayose, for the first, delegates from the southwest will be speaking with one voice during the convention to pick the party’s presidential flagbearer. “We will take a position and we will hand over the delegates to our governor, our leader (Makinde). If you like me, follow me. If you like governor Wike follow him. But by the grace of God, we will do a house meeting before we set out. We will go to Abuja with at least 85 to 90 percent of our votes in one direction,” he said.
