The crisis of confidence rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may continued unabated as the Rivers State governor and leader of G-5, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has tactically endorsed the ambition of the presidential candidate of the rival Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, with a promise to provide vehicles to facilitate his campaigns in the State.
He, however, vowed to remain in the PDP to fight and chase away those he called “armed robbers” in the house.
This is as Obi also openly traded off the LP governorship candidate in River State, Comrade Beatrice Itubo, for the PDP governorship candidate, Siminalaye Fubara, in order to get Wike’s support for his presidential ambition in return.
OBSERVERSTIMES recall that Wike and four other aggrieved governors of the PDP otherwise known as G-5 recently pulled out of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, due to the face-off between them and the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The Rivers State governor and others, which include Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, have insistently called for the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to pave way for a chairman from the Southern part of the country.
Wike spoke on Thursday during the inauguration of the Nkpolu Oroworukwo Flyover in Port Harcourt City local government area of the State, which was performed by Peter Obi as special guest.
“Presidential candidate, your party does not have members of the National Assembly here; they don’t have anybody. So, don’t put your money ooooh. If you put your money, it will go down the drain. Focus on your own election. All the other people, not one, they will not win one seat.
“Political party is just a conveyor belt. It is just a vehicle to get you where you are going. If our laws permitted independent candidacy, you would have done that without any political party. Since there is no independent candidacy in our constitution, you must join a political party to enable you sell yourself to Nigerians.
“I know you as a person and you have all the criteria, you have all that is needed to lead this country. Nobody can deny that from you. What I pray is for God to give you the strength, to give you the wisdom to move from one state to another.
“When you want to come to Rivers State for campaigns, let me know. We will give you all the necessary supports.
The Rivers State governor and others, which include Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, have insistently called for the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to pave way for a chairman from the Southern part of the country.
Wike spoke on Thursday during the inauguration of the Nkpolu Oroworukwo Flyover in Port Harcourt City local government area of the State, which was performed by Peter Obi as special guest.
“Presidential candidate, your party does not have members of the National Assembly here; they don’t have anybody. So, don’t put your money ooooh. If you put your money, it will go down the drain. Focus on your own election. All the other people, not one, they will not win one seat.
“Political party is just a conveyor belt. It is just a vehicle to get you where you are going. If our laws permitted independent candidacy, you would have done that without any political party. Since there is no independent candidacy in our constitution, you must join a political party to enable you sell yourself to Nigerians.
“I know you as a person and you have all the criteria, you have all that is needed to lead this country. Nobody can deny that from you. What I pray is for God to give you the strength, to give you the wisdom to move from one state to another.
“When you want to come to Rivers State for campaigns, let me know. We will give you all the necessary supports.
“Listen, don’t misquote me. What I am saying is as somebody who has honoured us by coming to commission my project without saying that he is not a member of my party, when he comes here for campaign, he will need vehicles to go to one or two local government areas or Senatorial districts.
“He is a former governor and a presidential candidate. As a state government, we will always give him the support to go for campaigns,” Wike said.
Wike stated that he didn’t blame Obi for dumping the PDP for LP, pointing out that the former Anambra State governor suffered a lot of humiliation while in the former party.
The governor said: “Your Excellency, you were a member of our party, but you left our party. I know why you left the party and I don’t blame you for leaving the party. Let me tell you, nobody can suffer what you suffered, the humiliation you faced. Most of the people don’t know but I know. Nobody here knew what you passed through.
“But for me, I will not leave, I will stay there and fight the fight. For me, I am not leaving this house. I will never allow armed robbers to take over my house. I am going to stay to chase away the armed robbers.
“If you had not left, you wouldn’t have been able to realise your ambition to save Nigeria. I did not say you will be the one to save Nigeria. That is your ambition. Everybody has his own strategy and has his own plans.
“I must confess to you and I say it clearly, you are a very humble person. But that does not mean you are the one to save Nigeria. You are a very straightforward person. You are a man of integrity.”
Meanwhile, while inaugurating the flyover project, the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who was accompanied by his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, appealed to Governor Wike to support his presidential ambition while in return, his party members and supporters in the State will vote for the PDP governorship candidate, Siminalaye Fubara.
Obi said: “Today, we have not come for campaign, we are here for commissioning. I have listened to what you said that I should tell Labour Party people that they should be careful about the state. I will talk to them; we will negotiate.
“I will tell them that Oga said if you give to this side, you give to the other side too. If we leave the state (governorship) for him, he will leave the federal (presidency) for us. So, we will negotiate it.
“You know you are in charge. We will not quarrel with you; anybody who quarrels with you doesn’t know what he is doing. I will not try it. I am begging, give us federal and we will give you the state.”
The LP presidential candidate lauded Wike for being a man of good character, who has remain consistent on his opinions and position on issues.
Obi said: “Let me first thank you and the good people of Rivers State for inviting us. You did not need to invite us but you invited us. I feel specially honoured to be invited for a second time to commission a project. We are sincerely grateful.
“Nobody in this country can doubt your performance. Most importantly, you have remained constitently constitent in positions you have taken. What we lack in the country today is character, competence and capacity but these are qualities you have as a state governor and I am sure it will continue with the incoming governor.
“When I come to Rivers State to campaign, I will tell them that if I have the opportunity of serving this country, the people of Rivers State and the people of Niger Delta remain grateful to me because I will change Niger Delta. If I have the opportunity, we will not serve you from Abuja, we will serve you from your state. We will bring governance closer to the people.