Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has reiterated that he will never join the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite its governors commendable stance on zoning the presidency to the South.
The governor, who described the insinuations that he will
defect to the APC as speculative, maintained that he remains an unrepentant
member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Governor Wike stated these at the 114th quarterly general
meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt, the
State capital on Monday.
He informed the council ahead of Saturday‘s presidential
election, that he will be voting for only the candidate that can guarantee the
unity of the country.
“I am not a member of APC and I will not be. But, they have
made me to recognise that they are the heroes of this country. The governors
came out to say look, for the unity of this country, presidency should go to
the south. The governors of APC said the way the county is, they want the unity
of this country and therefore, the presidency should go to the south.
“They could have as well said no, it doesn’t matter. As
governors we have the number. We can still say it should remain where it should
remain. But they didn’t do that. They said the way we are seeing this country
we want everybody to be together.
“Let no one say because I have the population, therefore,
you will continue to dominate. In dominating you need peace, without peace you
cannot govern.”
Speaking on the crisis in PDP, the governor stated that
Rivers State has helped to sustain PDP right from the era of former governor,
Dr. Peter Odili down to his administration. Therefore, he insisted that it is
absolutely wrong for a section of the country to deny other people the
opportunity to participate in presiding over the affair of the nation.
“We are all Nigerians and we want the unity of this country.
We want Nigeria to move forward as a united country. Rivers State has always
been in support of one Nigeria and we’ll continue to support one Nigeria. But
in doing that, we believe in equity, we believe in justice, we believe in
fairness. As the governor of this State, I will vote for the unity of this
country. I will vote for anything that will unite Nigeria.
“I will not support anything that will divide Nigeria. And
that is what necessitated the principle of live and let’s live. If only one
person continues to live, things will not be good. It’s not about party, it is
about Nigeria. I am a member of Peoples Democratic Party, unrepentant member,
who in fact, built this party when people ran away.”
He explained that the reason why he has been one of the
arrowheads of those agitating inclusivity in PDP, is because of his belief in
the unity of the country. According to him, a strategic State like Rivers,
cannot be relegated to play second fiddle in the country.
Governor Wike said though he does not encourage traditional
rulers involvement in politics, he however, urged them to support the PDP
governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, who he formally presented to
the council, for the continuity of the developmental stride recorded by his
administration since 2015.
“In the next few months, I will be former (governor). But
former in a big way. My transition will be smooth, there will be no crisis.
Don’t make mistake to go and vote for another person. You want to distort
everything we have done, and then our state will go backward. Let’s allow
continuity.”
The governor declared that in over seven years of his
administration none of the twenty-three local government areas of the State can
claim they were neglected in terms of project execution.
Governor Wike assured the traditional rulers that no project
awarded by his administration including the reconstruction and dualisation of
the Emohua/Abalama-Tema road as well as the Ahoada/Omoku road, will be
abandoned.
The Rivers State governor promised to give all State
recognised traditional rulers official vehicles before he leaves office.
The chairman of the Rivers State council of traditional
rulers, His majesty king, Dandeson Douglas Jaja, Jeki V, Amanyanabo of Opobo,
thanked the governor for the respect he has accorded the council since his
assumption of office.
The king informed the governor that members of the Council,
in a representative meeting, have resolved to support any governorship candidate
of his choice that will carry on with the developmental blueprint of the state
as laid down by him.
Ahead of the general election, the king has urged political
actors and their supporters to conduct their activities peacefully so that the
citizens can still have a State to cherish after the elections.
“They should also note that, nobody’s political ambition is
worth the blood of any resident of this State. We must remember that political
parties are only vehicles by which people access political offices.
“They are not permanent. Politicians can change parties
anytime depending on changing circumstances. We, therefore, appeal to our
politicians to eschew violence and stop using our youths as cannon fodder. Let
the peace we are enjoying under this administration be sustained.”
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