Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has explained that only a courageous person with the capacity and vision to salvage the country would be supported to fly the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election.
\nHe clarified that although the party was yet to decide whether such candidate would be from the southern or northern part of Nigeria, adding that \u201cone thing is certain, the candidate will be one who can confront the evil tactics of All Progressives Congress (APC)\u201d.
\nSpeaking on African Independent Television (AIT), yesterday, Wike said the process to determine who PDP would field as its presidential candidate would be a turbulent one.
\n\u201cLet nobody come and tell you that in arriving at a presidential candidate that it will be easy. No way, it can never be. You know, there are two types of turbulences. There is turbulence that will not have a crash, which is a normal turbulence. There are turbulences that there is likely to be a crash.
\n\u201cOur own turbulence in PDP is the normal turbulence, which I believe we will get through it, but APC turbulence is a turbulence that is likely to lead to a crash.
\n\u201cPDP has redeemed its position towards what Nigerians are expecting, because Nigerians are tired of what is going on in the country. So, they need an alternative, and the only alternative as it is today is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).\u201d
\nWike said as a firm and courageous person, who having demonstrated such selfless leadership in Rivers State, he would only support a presidential candidate who would not mortgage the party for other selfish interests.
\n\u201cAnd so, if you want to run for presidency under PDP, I will not support somebody who\u2019ll just want to bear the name of former presidential candidate, I will not agree to that. I must see that you are prepared for it, and to confront this evil called APC.\u201d
\nWike boasted that he feels fulfilled that PDP got it right with a peaceful conduct of its national convention that saw the emergence of a new competent National Working Committee (NWC).
\nHe dismissed insinuations in some quarters that PDP governors had forced on an early convention because they wanted sole control of the party.
\nAccording to him, any true party man would love a PDP that is stable, focus and forward looking.
\nThe governor maintained that already the new leadership of the PDP, waiting to be sworn-in on the December 9, 2021, have started engaging Nigerians and other party members on identifying what the problems are and how to address them properly.
\nWike said Nigerians are tired of the misrule of APC and would not allow their evil to continue beyond 2023.
\n\u201cNigerians are waiting. Nigerians cannot have this type of evil come up again in 2023. We will be doing a disservice to Nigerians to allow this to continue.\u201d
\nHe said PDP is already aware of the antics of the APC-controlled Federal Government to ensure it holds on to power at all cost.
\nAccording to him, APC is already gearing up to deplore unconstitutional means to frustrate the conduct of a free and fair 2023 general election.
\nWike expressed strong reservation on the likelihood of President MuhammaduBuhari ever assenting to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
\n\u201cThe president will not sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The signs are already there. It is dead on arrival. The president does not disappoint people.\u201d
\nHe stated that the seemingly disagreement between members of the national lawmakers and APC governors over the Electoral Act Amendment Bill was devised to frustrate it.
\nThe governor wondered why the president would be seeking INEC\u2019s advice on a law that is already passed by the National Assembly.
\nHe asserted that issues of security and cost implication would be used eventually as reasons why presidential assent would be declined.
\nWike said the current Senate and House of Representatives controlled by the APC lack the capacity to use veto power to override Buhari, if he refuses to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
\nSpeaking on how his successor would emerge, Wike reassured that the leadership of the party would meet to decide who to support at the appropriate time.
\nWike maintained that he was obliged to ensure that PDP wins the 2023 governorship election, but he would not impose any candidate on the party.
\n\u201cThere is no right thinking Rivers person who will say Wike\u2019s administration has not done well for Rivers State. And so, I believe everybody will want somebody who has something positive to add.
\n\u201cOne mistake I will not make is to impose somebody. From my experience as a student of history, reality has shown that it is difficult for you to say Joseph is the man I can trust. Until you give somebody power and money, that is only when you will know whether that person is trustworthy or not.\u201d
\nWike said God will not allow someone that will destroy all the remarkable progress the state has made over the years to be the next governor.
\nAccording to him, God will ensure that it is only someone who is courageous, firm and ready to protect the interest of Rivers State that will succeed him.
\n\u201cRivers State is a state that so many people have interest. It is a state that you have to put your feet on the ground. It is a state that you have to annoy a lot of Nigerians, and a lot of Nigerians will hate you. But what is important is for you to know what is good for your people, and stand for your people. Do not allow personal interest to sway you against the interest of your people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has explained that only a courageous person with the capacity and vision to salvage the country would be supported to fly the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election. He clarified that although the party was yet to decide whether such candidate would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":282253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[688],"class_list":["post-282248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-front-pix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=282248"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":282254,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282248\/revisions\/282254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/282253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=282248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=282248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=282248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}