The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has further explained the reasons behind his face-off with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2023 polls, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Wike spoke when members of the Rivers State Elders Council visited him on his birthday in Port Harcourt.
He explained that the lingering crisis in the PDP, often linked to him, had nothing to do with him but stakeholders from the South who are demanding that the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, must quit.
Offering the explanation to the members of the Rivers State Elders Council, led by their Chairman, Ferdinand Alabraba, and his political associates, he said the Southern stakeholders are insisting that both the presidential candidate and national chairman of the party cannot be from the North.
Wike said: “I have no problem with the presidential candidate.
“All I am saying is what is the interest of Rivers people?
“What is the interest of the South South and the South?
“I don’t regret I ran for presidency.
“In the name of God, I am happy to make Rivers State proud.
“I am happy as far I am concerned.
“If they had allowed it to be what it is supposed to be, I would have won the election.
“But it’s okay.
“It has happened.
“People said because I lost election, it doesn’t matter.
“I didn’t lose election.
“This is my first time of trying to run for the president of Nigeria and we made impact.
“If it is easy, let them go ahead.
“Are they not the ones begging?”
Speaking on his perceived face-off with his Ikwerre brothers such as Celestine Omehia and former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara, Wike said they were begrudging him because of his insistence that it would be morally offensive for an Ikwerre man to succeed him or even emerge PDP candidate for Rivers East Senatorial District.
He said: “I called Austin Opara.
“He sat here and I said look my brother, leave it, it will not work.
“I don’t want to cause crisis in our system.
{(Former Governor Rotimi) Amaechi finished eight years as governor.
“I’m going to finish eight years as governor too.
“It will be difficult to sell another Ikwerre person as governor for another eight years.
“Omehia said he wants to go to the Senate.
“I said leave it.
“Ikwerre has gone, Ogu has gone, leave Etche to go.
“You people said I should go to Senate, I said I won’t.
“Allwell (Onyesoh) could not have stopped me.
“Yes, today, we are majority, you don’t know what tomorrow will be.
“I never did anything to undermine anybody.
“We must understand that.”
Wike also denied foisting Siminalaye Fubara on the party as the Rivers State governorship candidate.
He said Fubara was a product of consensus.
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