Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike has stated that his public remark regarding former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s support for Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) for president was made out of concern for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike provided the justification yesterday at the Mgbuodohia Community Primary School in Rumuolumene Town, Obio-Akpor Local Council, which served as the site of the groundbreaking for the construction of Mgbuodohia Road.
The governor pointed out that because Atiku Abubakar served as Vice President for eight years while Obasanjo served as President on the PDP platform, Obasanjo should have been in a better position to enlist Nigerians’ support for Atiku.
Wike pointed out that if Obasanjo does not support Atiku, something is seriously wrong and PDP members should be worried.
I didn’t mean any harm, he claimed. Only as a major PDP member am I concerned. A man who cherishes PDP ought to be concerned. I wasn’t making fun of anyone. I was only concerned.
“I prayed that Obasanjo would be quiet and not speak. That was my supplication. But my supplication was in vain. I prayed that if this man (Obasanjo) says anything, it will implicate us because he worked with our presidential candidate while he served as President for the PDP for eight years. And the campaign by our presidential council claims that during the eight years, our presidential candidate performed admirably, with experience.”
Wike expressed amazement that party members were verbally assaulting him rather than analyzing problems logically and weighing what could be done to right apparent wrongs.
What have I done?
I took no action.
I merely expressed my worry.
You should go back and question what is fundamentally wrong if you care about this party.
“You are abusing me for informing the party that we should do something,” I said, “because I am afraid that we should do something and have voiced it.”
The governor stressed that only PDP supporters would be motivated to prevent anything negative from happening to the party.
Wike referred to those who are mistreating him as jobbers and political flitters who switch sides frequently.
They’re not bothered, he said. But those of us who have been a part of this party since 1998 have helped to ensure its continued existence. When we perceive danger approaching, we never stop yelling.
Abuse after abuse! Nothing will be altered by it. Instead, it will cause greater damage. Ask others what you don’t know! Get guidance. People will assist you in finding a solution.
Wike warned anyone threatening potential punitive measures against the G5 governors to “perish the thought” and underlined that mistreating PDP Integrity Group members will only exacerbate the ongoing problem in the party.
Nobody can evict us from this home that we created, he claimed.
We shall all fight here.
Therefore, if anyone believes that you may simply dispense orders while sitting in your home, they are mistaken.
You will be crushed under the home.
So, you ought to reconsider.
Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, has lauded Obasanjo for supporting Peter Obi.
Ortom claimed that if he were not a member of the PDP, he would have personally led Obi’s campaign across the nation. Ortom has never concealed his hostility to Atiku’s candidacy.
Ortom referred to Obi as “the individual who has the capacity to properly manage the economic, security, and other difficulties facing the country” in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Terver Akase.
The governor declared: “The country has been teetering on the brink of collapse for some years, due to leadership failure and its associated effects of poverty, heightened insecurity with banditry, kidnappings, and other acts of terrorism endangering the fundamental foundations of the nation.”
He praised Obasanjo for displaying impartiality, truth, and patriotism, and for being a statesman whose opinions on matters of national importance must be respected.
