2023: I won't sabotage PDP if I lose presidential ticket ― Wike

A presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has vowed that if he loses the ticket, he will not join the league of members who align with opponents to sabotage the former ruling party.

Speaking during a meeting with the National Assembly Caucus of the PDP in Abuja on Tuesday night, he presented himself as the best person to govern the country at this time, citing his performance in Rivers State, age and energy.

The aspirant appealed to the lawmakers to support his aspiration, assuring that, if elected, he will be available to provide the desired leadership, saying that everything necessary thing must be done to oust the ruling party, which he described as evil.

Wike stated: “So, whichever way you look at it, as being competent, very competent, look at it the other way, I am there, left-right centre, I am there.

“I want to appeal to all of you, today is 29th March 2022, I beg you for the interest of our party, I have made myself available. Age is on my side, too much energy to run around and solve the problems of this country. So, I am making myself available, removing sentiments.

“But if we don’t win in 2023, it will be a problem for us. I will bring my state votes, with my leaders here. Even if you don’t give me the ticket, I will still produce the highest votes. It is our nature from 1999 till now. Ask. Nobody has beaten Rivers State in terms of giving votes to the party.

“Even if you don’t give me the ticket, I will never go to any party, I not sabotage it, I will carry it upon my head and make sure the party wins the election. I am not going to do any conspiracy to go and see APC at night. That is the problem of people because you didn’t get it, you begin to go in the night to frustrate the party.

“After May 28, 29, if anything happens, right from there, I will make myself available to work for this party, to make sure this evil government leaves. It is evil, evil is evil, there is no way to defend it.”

The governor expressed confidence that he will win the election, saying: “So, it is not just I want to contest an election, no, I am coming not just to contest but to win the election. And I will be in front, I am not going to travel, I will be here because you must show leadership. I will be at the front, if they fire a bullet, let it reach me first. That is what they call leadership.

“To manage Rivers State is not an easy thing. (Senator Gabriel) Suswan has come to commission projects, Minority Leader has come to commission projects, so many people. I have transformed Rivers State. Allow me this opportunity and see the way I will transform Nigeria. It will be unprecedented.

“Poverty does not know religion, insecurity does not know ethnicity. Poverty has ravaged Nigeria in the north and in the south, with hunger everywhere. So, why not get somebody that is prepared for this work, that is so energetic.”

Wike affirmed that he fit the bill of the type of candidate the main opposition party requires to win the 2023 presidential election, arguing: “PDP requires a strong and determined person. I am presenting myself, I am qualified. So, let nobody think oh you came here because of zoning but I will come to that too.

“People say this Wike, he shouts too much. Who has problems that will not shout? Don’t shout whether you won’t die there.

“So, I have come to solicit, give me your votes, don’t waste it, this is the man that will deliver.

“Some of you say some people don’t like you. Must everybody like you? When everybody likes you, then you have a problem.

“What is important is, for now, who can do this job. Who can go and meet APC? The fight has started. And I am sure APC wherever they are now, they are not sleeping because they know I have come out and it will not be easy.”

Wike lambasted other PDP presidential aspirants who now want to jettison the zoning principle of the party because it may not favour their region.

According to him, they have resorted to lying because the principle does not favour them while they forget that only one region was allowed to produce aspirants for the 2019 exercise.

He maintained: “Like I said I didn’t come here for the issue of zoning but it is important for Nigerians to be told the truth, know the truth and it shall set you free. If you want to run an election, you can run but tell us the truth, how has it been done.

“Our founding fathers never made a mistake, they know the complexity of this country, it is not because they don’t want merit, no, but they said for Nigeria to move forward, this is the way we are going to do it for fairness, equity and justice.

“In the general provision of section 7 3c, the Constitution provides that there shall be a rotation of party offices and elective positions for fairness, equity and justice. Some people argued, let us win first before we share. But when we zoned in 2017, what did we have? Were we in power?

“People should speak the truth, it doesn’t stop you from running for election. You won’t because I want to run for president, I will want to go and tell lies to people. We don’t do that, that is not fair.

“2017, we zoned and everybody knew I championed Tambuwal’s election, I have no regret about it. If such an opportunity comes again, I will do the same thing. But let us tell ourselves the truth and that was why nobody came from the south to even collect form.

“We all agreed, zone it here, it doesn’t stop you from running for election. But don’t scatter what the founding fathers have laid down because of your selfish interest. No. Agree. After all, even in 1999 when it was said that it will go to the south, Rimi contested. People have said this is where it is going to be. Rimi because it is his constitutional right, you can’t stop him, he ran.

“But if we deviate from that now, simple Suswan wants to run and Suswan believes that if he doesn’t run now, he may not run again, Suswan now says no, that is selfishness, that is not for the interest of the party and we must not allow that.”

Wike announced that he has raised a legal team of over 20 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to take up the cases of any political aspirant that supports his ambition.

He explained: “So many things are going wrong. People will not say the truth. To tell you I am serious, yesterday we set up our legal team, twenty-something SANS. I am fully prepared for this and everybody who is working with me, will not have any legal challenges because you will take from the pool.

“Nobody supporting me here will go to court on their own. Our team will take care of it. If I say I am working with you, your problems are my problems and my own problems are your own problems. So, we must share it equally.”

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