Not one to give up easily and not speak his mind, the defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has spoken up on how some southern governors betrayed a collective agreement to ensure power returned to the southern part of the country in 2023.
At a grand reception organised by Rivers people on Monday in Port Harcourt, to welcome him back from Abuja after the PDP presidential primary, Wike said, “I contested in an election (primary) based on the principle and agreement with all Southern governors and leaders of the South that presidency should go to the South this period.
“We have done our part. We never betrayed anybody because it is not in our blood to betray. But it is a shame to those people, some of the governors from the South, they are the people that were used to sabotage our course.”
“Look at a region ganged up, then you, your own region cannot gang up. You became tools to be used against the interest of your people, and you think you have won, you have lost. You will continue to be perpetual slaves. Rivers people you don’t need to bother yourselves. PDP needs us. If they say they don’t need us, they should wait.”
However, others have blamed Wike’s alleged brash ways for his loss, while many squirmed at the manner Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, switched loyalty to Atiku to undermine his ally, Wike.
Wike explained that it was in the interest of the country he entered the race, and was not ready to be cowed.
“The winner (of the ticket) also saw it. They underrated us, but now, they will not underrate us again. We have all it takes to do whatever we want to do. It is a matter of you being firm, it is a matter of you being hopeful. There is nobody that is born greater than us in this country, therefore, we cannot answer second class citizen. We can’t.
“We just used this one to tell them that enough is enough. We made them not to sleep. We made them not to eat. We made all of them from wherever they said they come from to know that there is somebody who can take them on. This country does not belong to one particular zone. If people are afraid of talking it is their business. I cannot be a second class citizen in my country.
“Some of them, their in-laws are governors in the ruling party, but they want to interfere in what happens in PDP. Some of them their brothers are governors in the ruling party and they want to interfere in PDP”
Recalling his pledge to work with anyone who won, Governor Wike reiterated the word he gave on the convention ground at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, adding that the state will work for the party and all its candidates in the 2023 general election.
He went down the memory lane to recall how his colleagues buckled under pressure to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) a breather in 2019.
“In 2019, I was the only governor from the South-South who never negotiated with the present government. They came, I said no, I was not going to be party to that. And that is why APC never had 25 percent in this State (Rivers). But, all the other States in the South-South, the president got 35 percent to 40 percent. I said I was not going to sit down with them and negotiate.”
Earlier in a television interview,
Wike said he told Atiku Abubakar, the winner of the PDP ticket to be circumspect about those running around with him as they have no electoral value.
Atiku had visited Wike at his Abuja residence on Monday morning.
Wike noted that Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tambuwal ought to have not spoken twice as it was a clear violation of the primaries guidelines.
His words: “Tambuwal should not have spoken twice. He should have spoken when all aspirants were given an opportunity to speak.
”Speaking twice and campaigning for an aspirant violated the guidelines and procedures of convention but I have taken it as God’swill. I will not fight PDP….
“I told Atiku when he came to see me this morning that some of the people following him do not have votes or followership in their states. It is not by these people following you up and down. When the time comes, they should deliver….
“I saw a sitting Governor dancing after the declaration of results. He was dancing but could not bring one delegate to the convention….
“I have never seen how people can violate procedure and guidelines. Apart from when we were given the opportunity to speak, no aspirant was supposed to campaign on that ground. This our party shouldn’t be destroyed.
“Leave history for those betrayals of their people, history will judge them.
“Before they underrated us, now they won’t underrate us again. We used this one to tell them that enough is enough. We made them not to sleep, we made them not to eat. We made them to know that we are somebody.
“I cannot be a second-class citizen in my own country. I dare not. Some of them their in-laws are Governors in the opposition party. Why must you control me? They were looking for who to control and I said No”