Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe on those accusing him and his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, of frustrating the micro-zoning of the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the South East geopolitical zone.
The governor said he had always believed and supported concerted efforts toward ensuring that the presidency is zoned to the South.
Wike spoke yesterday at Itu Bridge Head, in Itu community, Emohua local government area of the state, venue of the flag-off of the Akpabu- Odido Road project.
He said, “I was one of those who led the campaign that the party’s chairmanship should go to the North because I believed the presidency should go to the South.
“I attended meetings of southern governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties from Delta to Lagos to Enugu states, where we agreed that the presidency should come to the south.”
The governor noted that while southern cross-party consultations were going on, there were people in the PDP who were bent on frustrating the eventual zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the South.
Wike maintained that such people cannot now turn around to pass the blame on him and Governor Ortom to hide their scheme thinking they could deceive Nigerians.
He said, “I woke up this morning and read where they said, how Wike and Ortom frustrated PDP’s micro-zoning of presidential ticket to South East. That was what the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku, said.
“I keep on saying they will be contradicting themselves, telling lies up and down, thinking that Nigerians don’t know. How can they say that I influenced Ortom and told him to allow and throw the ticket open?
“Nigerians know those who are opposed to zoning of the party’s chairmanship first. And when the zoning committee was set up, this time, Atiku had gone to buy form to frustrate the recommendation of the zoning committee, so that when they have bought form, they could say, ‘oh, there is no need of zoning’. Will you tell people to withdraw?”
The governor said their gimmick is now hunting them because they were unfair to Nigerians.
Wike said, “Yes, you don’t like Ortom, no problems. I know my own; you don’t like me; no problems. But I and my state gave you the highest support in 2019, both with logistics and by votes.
“You can’t deceive Nigerians again. What I have stood for is equity, fairness and justice. So, saying that I and Ortom frustrated PDP micro-zoning to South East is niether here nor there. They know that they don’t want presidency to come to the South.”
The governor urged the presidential candidate of the PDP leave him out of the attendant challenges he is facing in the party.
He, however, stated that a bad product is always difficult to sell; otherwise, Obasanjo would have recommended Atiku to Nigerians having worked with him.
But, instead of doing so, Wike noted that the former president chose to endorse another presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The governor insisted that if former president Obasanjo has refused to recommend Alhaji Atiku, then something must be fundamentally wrong.
According to him, Atiku should be more concerned about that loss of confidence from his former boss and his coming election.
On the road project, Governor Wike expressed gratitude to God that the Odido community will get a modern road for the first time in their history during under administration.
The governor boasted that given the overwhelming joy expressed by the Odido people, it is difficult to believe that they will cast their votes for candidates of another party except the PDP.
Providing a description of the project, Rivers State commissioner for Works, Dr George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo, said the Akpabu-Odido Road also has a 22 meters long bridge.
According to him, with the contractor already mobilised to site about two months ago, the project will be completed within the agreed five-month period.
This, he said, will in turn enable members of the community to drive on road for the first time into their homestead, enjoy associated development, gain easy access to their farms and improved commercial life.
In his address, the chairman of Emohua local government area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, said the Odido community is an island that has neither seen asphalted road nor been linked to any neighbouring community.
With the flag-off and commencement of actual construction work, Lloyd noted that it will be the end of the ordeal Odido people usually suffer.
Wike Will No Longer Be Tolerated, Says Melaye
But the director of public affairs of the PDP presidential campaign management committee, Senator Dino Melaye, lambasted Governor Wike over his comments against Atiku.
Retorting back at Atiku, Melaye advised Wike to support whoever he wishes to support, adding that Atiku’s camp will no longer tolerate his insolent tendencies.
He asked Wike to be ashamed of himself for constantly seeking to insult Atiku who has done nothing to him.
Melaye added that as far as Wike is concerned, Atiku’s only offense is that he won the PDP primary election.
He stated that former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi’s refusal to trust Wike to succeed him despite having served as his chief of staff shows that something is definitely wrong with the current Rivers governor.
He said, “Wike should be ashamed that he has constantly solicited the attention of Atiku by his continuous disrespect and unwarranted insult of a man who did nothing to you. Atiku’s only crime is that he won a transparent presidential primary.
“Wike was chief of staff to Amaechi but Amaechi did not trust him enough to hand over to him. I advise him to support whoever he wishes to support, as we will no longer tolerate his insolent tendencies. The question is, is there something wrong with Wike that Amaechi did not hand over to him? Why will Prince Uche Secondus, Rt Hon. Austin Okpara, Sen. Lee Maeba, HE Celestine Omehia, Chief Abiye Sikibo, Sen George Sekibo, Hon. Chinyere Igwe, etc, leave him unceremoniously for Atiku. Something is definitely wrong somewhere”.
