2023: Wike, Duke, Imoke, others storm Calabar

The two former governors of Cross River State, since 1999: Donald Duke, and Liyel Imoke, and PDP senators, members of the state house of assembly and all party delegates, on Wednesday accompanied Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to Calabar, the state capital in consultation of the Cross River State delegates ahead of the party primaries

Speaking at the meeting, Governor Wike said: “I am here to tell the people of Cross River state, that I am ready to run; I want to run for the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; I am not running for running sake, am not running to negotiate for anything, am not running to negotiate for vice president, I am running to become President.

“I have respect for all of you, that is why I said I must come by myself, I don’t need to send people to come and talk to you, I come myself, I have excess energy, I will go everywhere, one day I will be in Kano State. Some people are looking for consensus; ‘if it didn’t dey, it didn’t dey’, what I dislike is deceiving people, what I will not do, I will not do.

“To be president of Nigeria, nobody will dash you anything, you will sweat it out. Give me this ticket, I am the one who can tell APC enough is enough, I am not here for Donald Duke, not for Liyel Imoke, I am here for Nigerians; you need someone who is bold and fearless, what is in me is greater, insecurity everywhere nobody can catch me. Cross River used to be where people come for holiday, it is not like that again today, some say Wike is too rough, harsh and arrogant, leave all those things, what we need is someone who can win the election”.

Governor Wike advised that the only way out of insecurity is intelligence; “you cannot fight insecurity without intelligence, invest in intelligence, intelligence can give you an edge against insecurity. It is not about building roads, who will use the roads if people are dying of insecurity? Even agriculture cannot thrive. The government’s first duty is the security of life and property, outside this, there is no governance.

Responding, the leader of the Cross River Caucus at the National Assembly, and senator representing Cross River Central, Senator Gershom Bassey, assured Wike of the state’s support.

“There is no need for too much talk, you are going to see Cross River state in this your presidential ambition, the women have a slogan, they say ” action, action, action”, so Cross River is intact; you will see our action,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former Cross River governor, Donald Duke, regretted that “Nigeria is today a disgrace; we are nowhere to be found in the global sphere. It is a big disgrace, so let’s not look for leadership where it is not”.

In his address, the PDP State Chairman, Venatius Ikem, welcomed Governor Wike to the state and presented what he called, “a love letter”, to the governor of Rivers State.

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