Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, says only mentally derailed persons will see him as insignificant in the grand scheme of things of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
The Rivers state governor said this in reaction to recent remarks made about him by former Jigawa state governor, Sule Lamido.
While speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Lamido said Wike has no control over the voters in Rivers.
He said Wike’s stance politically during the 2023 elections will not cost the party votes in Rivers, noting that the governor does not have a monopoly over the people.
Reacting to the comments in a statement issued by Kelvin Ebiri, his spokesperson, Wike said Lamido has not added value to the party since 2015.
According to the statement, Lamido and his cohorts played an “ignoble role” that caused the PDP’s defeat in 2015 and 2019 in Jigawa.
“It is rather appalling that at a time when concerted efforts are being made by lovers of true democracy and the unity of the party, to resolve some inherent contradictions plaguing the PDP, Alhaji Lamido and his cohorts, who have since lost their relevance in the polity, are busy creating friction and schism,” the statement reads.
“Governor Wike has never claimed to be the custodian of the over 3 million votes in Rivers State. But as the leader of the PDP and good people of Rivers State, anyone who underrates the governor’s political pedigree or dares to ignore his influence in the State and beyond will be doing so at his own peril.
“We wish to remind Alhaji Lamido that governor Wike has never left anyone in doubt about his capacity to sway the voters in Rivers State in a direction that benefits the people and the State. In overall, when he speaks, Rivers people will listen, no doubt.
“Perhaps, Alhaji Lamido thinks Nigerians are suffering from selective amnesia to have forgotten in a hurry, the ignoble role he and his cohorts played between 2014 and 2015, that culminated in the defeat of the PDP in the 2015 general election.
“We hope that he is not up in such a scheme again to cause a repeat of that history. Otherwise, if Alhaji Lamido has any modicum of conscience, he won’t be making disparaging comments about governor Wike, whom many have described as the pillar of the PDP since 2015.
“We wish to state without equivocation that no well-meaning member of the PDP will describe governor Wike as ‘insignificant’ in the affairs of the PDP. With all modesty, only persons plagued by schizophrenia psychosis will ascribe any form of relevance to Alhaji Lamido, under whose leadership the PDP has woefully lost two governorship elections in Jigawa State in quick succession.”
Discussion about this post