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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the ongoing campaign for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in the state does not include the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Wike stated this in Bonny Town during the local government campaign flag-off rally organised by the Rivers State PDP campaign council, on Tuesday.
The governor said the reason he is not campaigning for the party’s presidential candidate was due to the fact that he was not asked to campaign for anyone.
“Go home and have it on your mind that the PDP in Rivers State, we have taken governorship, we have taken the senatorial, we have taken the House of Representatives, and we have taken the House of aAssembly.
“That is the election we are doing here. These are the ones (candidates) who told me to come and campaign for them. No other person told me to campaign for him.
“I can’t force myself to campaign for you when you have not asked for it. These ones (candidates) have told me, so, I’ve come here to campaign.
“If somebody asks you to work for him, you’ll work for him. But if they don’t want you to work for them, will you force them?” he said.
Wike assured residents of the state that no intimidation can cause the political path that has been so chosen to change.
“Any person who says Rivers State is not important, we will pepper him. Anybody who says he doesn’t regard Rivers State, we would not regard such person.
“There’s nothing like propaganda, nothing like intimidation because nobody can intimidate us. We are very, very solid. We are very strong.
“No state can point at us to determine what will happen here. Nobody can do such. So, be bold to say, I’m from Rivers State, I live in Rivers, and I am happy with Rivers. What is important is our state which we have collected,” he said.
Wike’s comment comes amid the ongoing crisis in the PDP over calls by a group of five governors, known as the G5, for Sen Iyorchia Ayu to step down as national chairman of the party.
The governors–Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom(Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu)–have insisted that the party’s national chairman and presidential candidate cannot be from the same region and have excluded themselves from the PDP presidential campaign.
