Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Monday explained the reason for the non-inclusion of photographs of Atiku and the Chairman of PDP Iyorchia Ayu in the branded campaign vehicles of Rivers PDP.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign of PDP in Rivers for the 2023 elections in Port Harcourt Wike accused the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar of appointing enemies of the state into his campaign council.
The Rivers State Governor said he was not consulted by Atiku when he selected members of his campaign council in Rivers, saying he would, as such, not campaign for him.
He said; “Some have asked me, ‘why they did not see the presidential candidate, the party’s chairman’s photos in our campaign vehicles?’ I said what are you talking about?”
“The presidential candidate entered my state and picked members of the presidential campaign council without the governor of the state having a contribution. So, they said they don’t need me to campaign for them, that they don’t want Rivers people to campaign for them. Would you force yourself?
“If somebody said he doesn’t want you, would you go and push yourself? You sit down and do what you can do and that’s the end of it. I have never seen how somebody will come to a state like Rivers State and go and pick those who are enemies of the state without our contribution. That’s what they did. Who is our nominee in the campaign council they have? Do we have anyone?
“They don’t want us to campaign for them. The governorship and senatorial candidates told us to campaign for them. So, we are here to campaign for them. If they want us to campaign for them, they will come and tell us.
“If they think we are important, they will come and meet us and said I am running for election, can you come and support us, but nobody has come to tell us. Let me say that nobody can intimidate the state,” Wike said.
Tribune Online reports that the photograph of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is conspicuously missing on the party’s branded vehicles for campaigns for the 2023 general election in Rivers State.
The branded vehicles, numbering about 25 were unveiled on Monday, along with the party campaign council secretariat, located along Woji Road in GRA, Port Harcourt.
Recall that Wike, along with other governors including Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo), has been locked in protracted battles with the national leadership of the PDP over the continued stay in office of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s national chairman.
The G-5 PDP governors have demanded the replacement of Ayu as a pre-condition for supporting the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 presidential election.
But reacting to the development, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, a former member of the House of Representatives, said that the fact that the campaign vehicles were emblazoned in PDP colours is a confirmation that Wike and the other four governors are still members of the PDP.
According to Nwuke: “Members of the G5 (Five PDP Governors) have vowed to remain in the PDP. The fact that the buses are emblazoned in PDP colours is a confirmation of their membership of the party.
“It is on record that the G5 has withdrawn from the Atiku campaign council. If, as you said, the buses are not carrying Atiku’s face, it will ordinarily mean that the G5 states have kept faith with their pledge not to campaign for Atiku if he refuses to listen to demands for fair play in the PDP.
“What you see is a commitment to deliver PDP candidates and a fulfilment of the vow to stay out of the Atiku campaign if Atiku treats the South with levity.
Tribune Online
