From Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has promised to unveil the presidential candidate that he will support for the 2023 poll by January.

He said the decision on which of the presidential candidates he would mobilize votes for had already been taken and that by January 2023 he would  first embark on a state-wide campaign tour to tell Rivers people who they should vote.

Wike spoke at the inauguration of the Rumuokwurusi- Elimgbu Flyover  in Rumuokwurusi Town, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, yesterday, where he vowed to retire some politicians after the 2023 polls.

“So as from January next year, I will campaign to my people who they will vote for.  So, all of you who have been in suspense, who have been saying all kinds of things, abusing me, wait January has come. Not only will I tell them where they will vote, I will move from state to state and tell them why they should vote for the person I think they should vote for. Nothing will happen.”

Governor Wike pointed to the ills some person have caused with their political inconsistency, associations and philosophy, and wondered if  in good conscience they could say they have been fair to Nigerians and are fit to lead them.

“Those of you who have never been stable, you move from PDP to there, and you moved from there back to PDP. Those of you who campaigned in 2015, telling Nigerians if they vote for PDP they are voting for insurgency. If they vote for PDP, they’re voting for corruption. Wait, all of us will reply. We will tell Nigerians this thing that you said, how far now. Where do you still stand now? Is it the same PDP or a new PDP?

“So, all of you appearing on television abusing me, don’t waste  your saliva again. January has come. All those of you who are telling Nigerians that you used to have 40 shoes, you used to have 50 wrist watches, time has come to convert those shoes and wrist watches to votes.  It’s not to be on the podium and raise your shoes high. And raise your wrist watch high. Time has come to convert it to votes.”

Governor Wike also advised some Rivers politicians who now reside in Abuja to know that the 2023 election will confirm who truly has political influence on Rivers electorate.

He said 2023 general election would  also be used to retire these politicians.

“This election will retire people in 2023. If they win us, we go. If we win them, they go. In fact, they have already gone,” he said.