The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar sidelined him in picking the state’s PDP presidential campaign nominees.
Wike said it was an act of disrespect for Atiku to have picked the nominees without seeking his contribution.
He said the PDP presidential candidate picked “enemies” of the state.
According to a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Kelvin Ebiri, the governor stated this during the inauguration of the Rivers PDP Campaign Council in Port Harcourt on Monday.
The governor noted that those who disrespect the state and its electoral importance do not deserve Rivers electorate to vote for them or their candidates in the 2023 general election.
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“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 said.
Wike decried how Rivers State had been treated in the past despite the bulk votes delivered to the PDP since 1999.
According to him, people cannot 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 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 ask for Rivers State votes, after the votes, you push us aside. That will not happen again,” Wike said.
Wike, who said unconventional strategies would be adopted for the 2023 election, told members of the Rivers PDP Campaign Council to have a different mindset.
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 described Rivers as the envy of other states because of his remarkable achievements in office, noting that this would be beneficial to all PDP candidates in the state during campaign.
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