Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has hinted that talks with his political allies on the presidential candidate to support in the February 25 election would soon be finalised.
The governor maintained that the people of the state know their political bearings and would not play second fiddle concerning the general election slated for February 25 and March 11, 2023.
Wike spoke at St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Omagwa Town, venue of the Campaign Flag-off Rally of the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikwerre Local Government Area, yesterday.
The governor explained that Rivers people have been duly sensitised and told to vote the candidates of PDP for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly.
He explained that the beauty of the forthcoming election was that it would leave no room for any form of electoral manipulation and intimidation from security personnel.
Wike, allegorically, told the crowd to be sure that all votes must be put in one basket in favour of candidates of the PDP in the state.
“This time, no Army will do anything. No Akin Fakorode will do anything. No police will do anything. Now, it is one man, one vote. All the votes must be in one basket from governorship to House of Assembly. The other one we are concluding. When we conclude, you will be told.
“Nobody should intimidate you. Nobody should tell you any story. We are free born of this country. We are not second class citizens. Nobody can tell us anything. I dare them. Let anybody do any funny thing: We’ll tell them we are from Rivers State.”
He emphasised that it would be a case of one man, one vote, adding that no blackmail can dissuade or thwart the collective resolve of the people on who to support with their votes.
The governor, who urged the people to be calm, maintained that when the final decision of the presidential candidate the state would support would be taken, Rivers electorate would be notified.
“As we finish from here now, you’ll go home and start working before the appropriate time when we will ring the bell. When you hear the bell being rang, know that the decision has been taken.”
Wike explained that governance was not about story telling but in performance that translates into making living easier for the people and seeing them happy.
He said the successes of his administration were what the consolidation team, to be headed by the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, would consolidate, and therefore, should be elected to continue from where he would stop.
That is why, Wike insisted, that the forthcoming election would be a fight to finish so that those who have now placed themselves as enemies of the state, to sell it for pottage, would be taught a lesson.
Wike told the people of Ikwerre Local Government that in 2015 and 2019, he came to seek their support, made promises and had fulfilled all of them with development projects evenly distributed in all the 13 political wards.
The governor said the members of the consolidation team he was asking the people to vote into power were men and women with capacity to continue the tenets of good governance, and would certainly not disappoint them.
Wike disclosed that the Rivers State Government had awarded contract for the construction of Ubima-Ozuoha Road.
In his speech, Rivers State PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, vowed to invest massively in road construction, schools, hospitals, and security in Ikwerre Local Government Area, when elected governor of Rivers State on March 11.
Fubara also pledged to continue and consolidate on the widely commendable impactful development programmes of the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike in the area.
He said he was part of the administration of Wike that had provided good governance and driven unparalleled infrastructure development agenda.
Fubara pointed out that a vote for him would be an expression of confidence in what Wike had done, which he would consolidate, when elected.
He assured of committing to good governance, providing services to make life better for the citizenry, including delivering more roads, making health facilities offer quality healthcare services, and improving security in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
“We are in a LGA that is very significant to our cause. We came here to ask for your support in 2015, you told us the things you want us to do for you, Governor NyesomWike promised to do them for you, almost eight years later, and you can all attest that we have fulfilled those promises made to you.
“We are here again to seek your support, we are here to tell you that, that faith you had in us in 2015 and 2019 because of our performance, you should also have the same faith in us in 2023, because we will not fail you, we will even do more this time.
“The administration of our Principal and Leader built a model secondary school in the community of the former governor of this state; constructed internal roads in virtually all the communities in this LGA. I will continue from wherever he stops.
“Our mission here is to tell you to continue to support us for continuity and consolidation. We will provide good governance because that is what we stand for and that is what our Principal has provided for you since 2015.
“The few roads that are remaining in Ikwerre Local Government Area will be constructed by us. We will improve on your health services. Governor Wike has been able to tackle insecurity in this LGA; we will improve on that to maintain the peace you are currently enjoying. We will reconstruct and equip more schools in this LGA,” the guber candidate added.
“The few roads that are remaining in Ikwerre, we will do it. Your health services, we will improve on them and upgrade them. On security, you know those days when they kidnap in Elele, they will enter Ubima forest. Today, we have been able to smoke those criminals out and you have peace.”
The Director General of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, Bro Felix Obuah, noted the massive show of solidarity by the people at the rally.
He said Rivers people have witnessed the tremendous performance of Wike in office, adding that voting Sir SiminialayiFubara and other PDP candidates would ensure consolidation of the successes of the Wike-led administration.
Rivers State Chairman of PDP, Amb Desmond Akawor, who presented flags to the various candidates contesting various positions in the Rivers East Senatorial District, described Wike as the leader of the people and emancipator of the downtrodden.
The Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, warned that those who took Wike for granted would on February 25, realise their great mistake.
In his speech, Chief Mike Elechi said Wike had kept his 2015 and 2019 promises of delivery of development projects.
He vowed that the people had resolved to appreciate him as a father and brother by tripling the votes given to him in 2015 and 2019 to the consolidation team.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. ChineduMmom, said those gathered for the campaign rally were all registered voters who, as faithful PDP members, would vote all the candidates of the party.
On behalf of the women, Mrs.OwhuchukuObiandu, noted how Wike had in 2015, promised and ensured that women were brought into mainstream politics in the state.
As a show of gratitude, she said women were well mobilised to vote all PDP candidates in the state.