To Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should not be given to any of the aspirants who betrayed the party in the past.
Wike, who is one of the 17 aspirants seeking the ticket of the opposition party, was particular about those who either defected from the party or formed the New PDP (nPDP) ahead of the 2015 election that ended PDP’s 16-year reign.
He said such aspirants no longer deserve the ticket of a party they betrayed in the past. The aspirant was however silent on the identities of those he was referring to.
“Some aspirants caused disunity in the party in 2015, formed the nPDP and sold out the party’s goodwill and electoral opportunities,” Wike said when he met with leaders and delegates of the party in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
He went on: “The issue is, who are those who made PDP to lose election in 2015 that today we are suffering? Today, we are in opposition and trying to take power back.
“But see what the country has been turned into. Who are those who told Nigerians that President Buhari is a saint, that President Buhari will salvage Nigeria? What is their sense of judgment? Who are those aspirants who abandoned PDP, betrayed PDP and went to support President Buhari?”
Wike insisted that some PDP presidential aspirants brought President Muhammadu Buhari to power.
He said: “Now we are suffering. People are dying everyday. From January to March in Kaduna, over 1000 people have been killed. So many people have been kidnapped.”
The Rivers governor also alluded to a similar behaviour that was demonstrated by a PDP chieftain, who got the party’s massive support in 2019.
Wike spoke of the need for the electorate to be more concerned about the kind of people they want to entrust the leadership of the country to.
He said anyone desiring to govern Nigeria must be firm, courageous and should own up what he said.
“If it was the wrong thing that was said, say I am sorry but I have to say something as a leader. Not when you say something one minute, the next moment you say they didn’t get your approval,” he said.
Wike said Nigeria do not require theorists, but somebody who with the ability and qualities to offer focused leadership.
According to him, if given the chance, he would put the best of heads together to work under good supervision and coordination.
He said: “Nigerians know my views. I believe in restructuring. I believe in state police. You cannot stop insecurity in this country without state police which is the practice in all countries that run true federalism. Intelligence is key. Before it happens you’ve stopped it or cage them.”
The aspirant took on two former ministers who are seeking the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said the ministers had unresolved issues in their ministries before buying express of interest and nomination forms for the APC presidential ticket.
“Look at it, some people died in train blast, up until now no concrete report. This is a country where a minister of Transport, after people died in such accident and the next day, he went and collected form for presidency.
“You’re a Minister of Education, schools have closed for how many months, the next thing… the minister went and collected form for presidency. I have not seen a country like this, no conscience.”
His host Oyo State Governor Oluseyi Makinde assured Wike of the support of delegates from Oyo and the Southwest.
“If they say Seyi Makinde and the delegates from the south west of Nigeria are supporting Governor Wike, say there is a reason. When people come to canvass for your vote listen to them, but at the end of the day tell them this is who (Wike) we are supporting,” Makinde said.
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose said Southwest delegates will be meeting in Ibadan before the PDP convention to take decision on who to support.
According to him, “for the first, delegates from the south-west will be speaking with one voice during the convention to pick the party’s presidential flagbearer.
“We will take a position and we will hand over the delegates to our governor, our leader (Makinde). If you like me, follow me. If you like Governor Wike, follow him. But by the grace of God, we will do house meeting before we set out. We will go to Abuja with at least 85 to 90 per cent of our votes in one direction.”
Source: The Nation
