Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Monday, explained why the pictures of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, are missing from PDP campaign posters in the state.
According to the governor, Atiku did not consult him before he picked members of his campaign council from Rivers.
Wike who spoke at the inauguration of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council in Port Harcourt, the state capital, claimed Atiku selected “enemies” of Rivers into his campaign council for the 2023 general elections.
In his words, “Some people have asked me why is it that they don’t see the presidential candidate’s picture (and) the party chairman’s? I said what are you talking about? The presidential candidate entered my state and picked members of the presidential council without a whole governor of a state having a contribution,” he said.
“The presidential candidate entered Rivers State and picked those he wants to pick without the contribution of the governor. So, they said they don’t need me to campaign for them, that they don’t need Rivers people to campaign for them. Will you force yourself?
“I have never seen how people will disrespect a state like Rivers State and go and choose those who are enemies of the state without the contributions of us,”
“If they want us to be involved in the campaign, they will come and tell us. If he thinks we are important, they will come and meet us,” the governor noted, adding that nobody can intimidate Rivers when he is governor of the state.
It would be recalled that Wike and four other governors snubbed the kick-off event of the party’s presidential campaign sending a strong statement that the disunity in the party might cost the party the 2023 General Election.
Wike alongside his allies had demanded Ayu should resign on the grounds that both the presidential candidate and the National Chairman of the party cannot be northerners. He argued that the National Chairmanship of the party should automatically be zoned to the south to give room for equity and fairness.
