Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has disclosed that the G-5 governors have not reached a deal with any presidential candidate ahead of the forthcoming election, and has dared the party to expel him if it could for alleged anti-party activity.
Wike made the clarification on Friday during the flag-off of the construction of Eneka-Igbo Etche Road, in Rivers State. Incidentally, his clarification came on a day the PDP flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, called himself an elephant who cannot be taken by surprise by the G-5 governors.
Atiku’s running mate and Delta State Governor,Ifeanyi Okowa,said separately yesterday that God,and not the G-5,would determine the fate of the PDP in the election.
Wike, who moved straight from the Port Harcourt International Airport to Igbo-Etche in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area to kick off the construction of the Eneka- Igbo Etche road project, taunted Atiku’s loyalists for preoccupying themselves with the activities of the G-5.
He however, did not disclose details of their London meeting but wondered why Atiku’s supporters kept discussing every move of the G-5 which it repeatedly dismissed as insignificant and irrelevant to the victory of the PDP presidential candidate.
The governor said: “I travelled overseas on the 25th night having worked hard. I didn’t know it was still important that just going to unwind was a problem to some people. Some people said they had moved on, they don’t bother about G-5. Why do they bother about where we go to and where we didn’t go?
“We go to a club, you are worried. We go and swim you are worried. Yet you tell Nigerians you don’t bother. They said I had a conversation with BBC. Where is the picture and where is the video?
“We don’t have journalists again, we have pressmen. You can see people not being able to dish out correct information. You see newspaper houses that are now running elections. You see TV houses now standing for election; Wike had interviews with BBC and say we have a deal with so,so candidate.Meanwhile, no video.
“Some of you waste your time to listen to such things. When I want to do something I will do it. Do you need to speculate? You don’t need to. They say there is trouble but there is no trouble. What we have is introduction to trouble that will come.”
“They said we had meetings with a candidate. What is your problem assuming there was a meeting? Has Atiku not been holding meetings with governors of APC? Ask him. As he is in Dubai, don’t we know what is going on?
“So, why do you bother about us? The G5 you said you could win without us. Leave us alone. Focus on your problems. So, I want to tell you that whatever decision I will take, I will let you know and I can’t take any decision without taking advice from you.
“We know the parties some of these papers are supporting and their candidates. I am not the one that will go and see somebody and hide. Hide from who? Who is that person that will threaten me?You said you would sack me, go ahead.
“I am not worried. You that are sacking, you are worried, me that you are sacking is not worried. Try and see how you will survive it. I just went to enjoy myself and my family. If you check their Blood Pressure (BP) now it is very high. My BP is like that of a kid. They are killing themselves for nothing.
“Focus on what you are doing and forget all these rumour mongering that Tinubu, Obi, Obasanjo have done this and that. Am I contesting election? You contesting, go and focus on your campaigns. Tell the people what you will do when you enter. When you want to tell people the truth, tell them the truth. They have been circulating on Arise TV, one of those contesting elections, that Wike said as a party man whoever wins I will support. I cannot deny that. In spite of the shortcomings of that primary election I still said ‘look I will not do anything. I won’t go to court.’
“You, fulfill the one you said that if a presidential candidate comes from this zone, I will resign. Now that the presidential candidate has come you don’t want to fulfill it and you want me stupidly to continue. Is that proper?
“The presidential candidate told me in my house in Abuja when he came to see me, there was no way he would be presidential candidate and they would also produce the chairmanship of the party. Let him say he didn’t tell me that. Fulfill the promise. Did I say I am not a party member? You that made a promise you don’t want to be a party member?”
“You said we are giving condition. We are giving no condition. We forget history. In 2002 and 2003, when President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to run for a second tenure, a whole President, he knelt down before his Vice-President and said, ‘my vice please allow me to run.’
“Do you know one of the conditions he gave him? Tony Anenih must be sacked as Minister of Works and that Tony Anenih must not be in the presidential campaign council. Obasanjo obliged and sacked Tony Anenih as Minister and removed him from the presidential council and brought him back to Southsouth. And people are talking about conditions.
“This is a president, a retired general that knelt down for his vice and he gave him conditions. This one we are not even giving conditions. We are only saying by the constitution of our party, by what the national chairman said and by what you told me in my house when you came to see me, give us the national chairman and you say you will not listen to us and that we should not give you condition. Something that is touching on the foundation of the unity of a country.
“When I see riff-raffs moving around and talking all kinds of things; what they don’t know, people just because of position they can sell their children, I will not do that. When the time comes, we will know who has capacity and who doesn’t have it.
“When you see members of their presidential council, some of them are professional beggars. One of them stupidly said that Wike should know that PDP had fought for him. I have never left PDP since 1998. Even when they came to destroy PDP, I remained to save PDP. So, how can these kinds of characters come and tell me that I should not destroy PDP. The PDP you destroyed.
“Since 1998 till now I haven’t left this party. Who is to speak for PDP? Is it all these dead woods? They would come to your state, beg you and stay with you for two months and say you are the best but later they would go back and do a different thing. People should be honourable in their lives.
The G-5 Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) returned home yesterday from their latest strategic talks in London . The group had insisted that the National Chairman of the Party, Iyorchia Ayu, must resign.
The G-5 include Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Samuel Ortom (Benue). They have been in a running battle with Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate following the party’s presidential primary
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