Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, said he would be instrumental to installing President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor during the February 25 Presidential Election. “Whoever I adopt as Candidate will win the election”, he boasted.
The Governor spoke when he flagged off the construction of the Akpabu-Egbeda-Omoku Link road.
Wike who sounded sure-footed, without a care in the world, closed the gate to a possible reconciliation with the candidate of his Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar.
He said the insults being hurled at him by a number of people, neither touch nor disturb him as he would never change his mind over the non- backing of Atiku.
Those insulting him, Wike noted, will never mobilize enough votes to give their candidate 25 votes from the State.
He laughed at them, and said while they are busy going to Radio Stations and Television Houses, he is busy at home campaigning and mobilising voters for all PDP candidates, except, of course, the Presidential candidate. He appealed to the cheering crowd to vote PDP all the way, except to the Presidential office. “I will not join issues with them.”, he said, because he is busy mobilising voters. “I will not lose focus.”
Wike: “If anybody likes, say what you want to say that I am working for so and so person. It’s their business. Say I am not working for so and so candidate. It is their business.
“That will not make me change my mind where we are heading to. Do you understand me? So, if they like, they can make speculation. After all, that is why the word, speculation, is there.
“Some of them who do not have 25 votes are busy abusing leaders. When you finish abusing leaders, you will pay.”
“We are here talking to our people, they are there in Radio stations and Television houses. We are here talking to our people. When you are finished, by that time, it’ll be too late.
“Be bold to ask such politicians when they come, what did you bring for us? You come with empty hand, you will go with empty hand. You come with project, we give you votes. You come with promises, we give you promises.”
Amaechi Has No Shame
The Governor dragged his predecessor in office, the immediate past Minister for Transportation, whose maternal home is the place he went to flag off the road project, Chibuike Amaechi.
As a Governor, Wike said, Amaechi did not deem it fit to construct the road. He said Amaechi did not find it necessary, and left his maternal home empty-handed. Wike described Amaechi as a bad child who has no shame, and said that he, Wike, has “now become your son.”
Wike: “You see, your mother is from here. You didn’t deem it fit or necessary to do anything for your maternal home.
“Now, we that our mother is not from here, we are doing something to help your maternal home. You say it is unnecessary, it is a waste of resources.
“When you have a bad child, he is a bad child. If he is not a bad child, he should thank us for removing shame from his face. Since you don’t have shame, I will add more things for your maternal home.
Aside from the road, Wike then added that he would reconstruct internal roads in Egbeda. He asked the contractors handling the projects to have no fear over their payments. “Go home and sleep with your two eyes closed. I will pay you. I have money. I will not start the projects if I have no money to pay.”
Wike and his allies who include four PDP Governors, whose leader he is, has said they would not back Atiku’s Presidential aspiration.
Aside from their unhappiness over Wike’s failure to get either the Presidential or Vice Presidential ticket, they are, also, unhappy that the National Chairman of tye PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has refused to step down from office for a Southerner. Their argument: Both the National Chairman and the Presidential Candidate of the Party should not come from the same region – North.
They are, therefore, working for any candidate of their choice. The Governors with Wike are: Samuel Ortom, Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu and Seyi Makinde, Oyo.
