Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has tactically endorsed the ambition of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, with a promise to provide him with logistics for his campaign in the state.
He however vowed to remain in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to fight and chase away the “armed robbers in the house.”
Wike and four other governors on the platform of the PDP recently pulled out of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, due to face-off between them and the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The others are 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, are demanding 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 yesterday during the inauguration of the Nkpolu Oroworukwo Flyover in Port Harcourt City local government area of the state, which was performed by Obi.
He said, “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.
“A 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, will always give him the support to go for campaigns.”
Inaugurating the project, Obi, who was accompanied by his running mate, Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, appealed to Governor Wike to support his presidential ambition while in return, his party members and supporters in the state would 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,” he said.
