Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has clarified that his comment on former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his former deputy and current Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, stemmed from his concern for the opposition party.
Wike provided the explanation on Tuesday at the Mgbuodohia Community Primary School, which was the site of the groundbreaking for the Mgbuodohia Road in Rumuolumeni Town, Obio/Akpor local government area of the State.
The governor noted that Obasanjo having served as President on the platform of the PDP for eight years, with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as his vice president; therefore, he should have been in a better position to confidently solicit support from Nigerians on Atiku’s behalf.
He stated that if this was not done by way of endorsement, then something was fundamentally wrong that should cause concern among PDP members.
“I meant no harm,” Wike stated. I’m only concerned since I’m a major PDP member. A man who enjoys PDP should be concerned. I wasn’t making fun of anyone. I was only concerned. My wish was for Obasanjo to remain silent and not say anything. That was the entirety of my prayer, yet it was in vain.
“My prayer was that if this man makes any speech, it will convict us because he was president under the Peoples Democratic Party for eight years, and he worked with our presidential candidate. And the pitch of our presidential council is that our presidential candidate did extremely well, with expertise, during the last eight years.”
The governor stated that for Obasanjo to favor Obi over his former deputy meant that something was terribly wrong.
He was perplexed that instead of individuals in the party objectively examining the issues and pondering what could be done about the seeming wrong, they were insulting him.
“What did I do?” Wike asked. Nothing was done by me. I only expressed my worry. If you care about this party, you should go back and ask yourself what is genuinely wrong.
“You’re abusing me for informing the party that we should do something because I’m concerned that we should do something.”
The governor stressed that only those who care for the PDP would work hard to ensure that nothing bad occurred to it.
He pointed out that people who were attacking him were jobbers and political flirts who hopped from one party to another every other day, with one of them now serving as the party’s spokesman.
Wike added: “They are not bothered, but those of us who since 1998 joined this party, contributed for the survival of this party till now, we keep shouting always when we sense danger coming.
“Abuses upon abuses, it will not change anything, rather it will spoil more things. What you don’t know, ask people for aid, and they will help you solve the problem.”
The Rivers State governor, who said assaulting members of the PDP’s renegade Integrity Group will only exacerbate the party’s festering issue, warned those who were threatening punitive action against the G5 governors to think again.
“Nobody can push us out of this mansion we’ve constructed,” he said. We shall all fight here. So, if somebody believes you can just sit in your house and take orders, they are mistaken. The building will collapse on you. So you should think twice.”
Wike also chastised a former PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, for claiming that he introduced the businesses that bid and won contracts for projects in Andoni.
“The firms were paid, but those projects were never implemented, and Prince Uche Secondus cannot remove himself from the companies that obtained those jobs,” the governor stated.
He added that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost its soul and strength, leaving the carcass, and that it will not receive any electoral support from Rivers voters in the upcoming elections.
Wike notably mentioned the level of support that Chief Anele Orobule, a fervent supporter of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi, gave to the APC but was shamed due to broken promises.
The governor stated that even though former Governor Rotimi Amaechi granted the Rumuolumeni-Rumuepirikom Road, it was abandoned, but the project was finished under his administration.
In addition, he stated that his administration rebuilt the impassable Naval Road and the Mgbuosimini-Nkpor Road.
Wike cautioned Rivers State residents to be wary of APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole, whom he accused of fronting for Amaechi because they do not care about the state.
The governor asked Rivers State PDP governorship candidate Sir Siminalayi Fubara to consider building a bridge connecting Rumuolumeni to Eagle Island in Port Harcourt if elected.
Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo, described the project as 5.1 kilometers long, 7.3 meters wide, and with a 6.5-kilometer offshoot drain.
