Gov Wike replies Ayade, says he’s not a ‘419 Governor’

As the rift between Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State hits the public space, there have been more overt reactions.

Governor Ayade during the weekend had  received his Bauchi State counterpart, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, for a one-day state visit in Calabar, where the governor (Ayade) said, “I have always played politics with ethics, but over time, I have come to realise that ethical politics is mistaken for weakness.”

He added, “I cannot blind myself to the challenges of PDP and decide not to know what to do at the right time for their sake.”

Threatening that, “One single injustice and I say it as a warning, because it does appear that your party (PDP) seems to celebrate people who threaten and stress them.”

So if you take a catalytic combination of all I have said,  it tells you that there is the need for a guided caution prosifuting at some persons going forward as a people, as a party.

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On his part, Governor Wike responded to Governor Ayade, “If you want to talk about us, come out and be bold and talk about Rivers State, I am not a 419 governor. When Federal Government refunded us money, I came and announced it…some of them, they were given the same money with me, did they announce it to their state?”

“I challenge the one (Ayade) that was talking last night, invite people to come and commission projects.

“It’s not to shortchange your people, carry their forest reserve and sell as timber.

“It’s not by force, it’s not by propaganda, it’s not by giving budget that’s unrealistic, fraudulent budgets…a very poor state will be giving budgets of over one trillion when Rivers state cannot give a budget of N400 billion.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE