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•Your claim lacks truthfulness, PDP group replies

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, did not want him and the state chapter of the party to partake in his campaign, saying those who disrespect the state and its electoral importance did not deserve the state to vote for them or their candidates in the 2023 general election.

But the Lagos State branch of the PDP Young Stakeholders, has faulted Wike over his comments that Atiku did not consult him before appointing members from Rivers into his campaign council, saying his claim lacked the merit of truthfulness.

However, Wike, who spoke during the inauguration of the Rivers State PDP campaign council in Port Harcourt, pointed to how Atiku allegedly picked people from the state as members of the presidential campaign council without any input from him, which he said meant they did not want the state to be part of what they were doing.

“The presidential candidate entered Rivers State and picked those he wants to pick without the contribution of the governor. So, they said they don’t need me to campaign for them, they don’t need Rivers people to campaign for them. Will you force yourself on them?

“I have never seen how people will disrespect a state like Rivers State and go and choose those who are enemies of the state, without the contribution from us. So, let’s campaign for those, who have told us to campaign for them here in the state, the governorship candidate, the senatorial candidates and others.”

Wike decried how Rivers State had been treated in the past despite the bulk votes delivered to the PDP since 1999, adding that, people could not continue to demand for Rivers votes and yet be unwilling to accommodate its interest.

“Politics is a game of interest. If nobody accommodates the interest of Rivers State, then, we have nothing to do with such people. If you say you that you have no interest in Rivers State, Rivers State will not have your own interest. It is only those who like us that we will like.

“I have told people who care, Rivers State, has voted PDP since 1999. Of this support we have given since 1999 till now, can you mention one thing that we have gotten in this state? Can you mention one road that we have gotten? All they care is to use Rivers State to bring votes, after brining votes, you push us aside. That will not happen again,” he said.

Wike advised the Rivers PDP campaign council to have a different mindset, saying the strategies to be adopted for the 2023 election would not be like what they had known.

He stated that PDP in Rivers had done well for the people, with such feat attested to by President Muhammadu Buhari, which makes it more difficult for any party to have a chance of winning the election in the State.

Wike, who boosted that Rivers was the envy of other states because of his remarkable achievements in office, which would be beneficial to all PDP candidates in the state, said he has directed the release of N50 billion to contractors handling projects in the state to enable them speed up work.

But the Lagos State branch of PDP Young Stakeholders, which disclaimed Wike’s claims, said in the statement by Dr Tai Oyekan, that Wike could be likened to a prodigal son, who took his inheritance in annoyance.

“To put the records straight, and which can be corroborated by every stakeholder in the party, that the PDP and its presidential candidate consulted all governors and leaders in each state before nominating members into the presidential campaign council.

“Whereas all state governors made nominations into the council, it was only in Rivers State that the governor refused to forward his nominations into the council. It was, therefore, upon the refusal of the governor that the PDP and its presidential candidate went ahead by their own discretion to make nominations into the council.

“It is public knowledge that Governor Wike, has gone amok with the party since his failure to emerge as presidential candidate of the party and has stated, publicly also, that he will not cooperate with the party in our presidential campaign.

“Governor Wike can be likened to a prodigal son who took his inheritance in annoyance. But we are hopeful that the party, as father to all, will have rectitude to accept Governor Wike back as a prodigal son whenever he returns in penitence.

“Before then, we wish to admonish Governor Wike that for the purpose of posterity, he should desist from telling lies against the PDP and leaders of the party. Nigeria operates a democratic politics and that means that Governor Wike has the rights of participation or otherwise. Be that as it may, however, he alone does not approximate River State.”