The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has made a hint that discussions with his political allies regarding which candidate to support in the presidential election on February 25 will soon come to a close.
The governor argued that the people of the state are politically astute and won’t take a back seat in the general elections scheduled for February 25 and March 11, 2023.
Wike spoke at St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Omagwa Town, venue of the Local Government Campaign Flag-off Rally of the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Ikwerre Local Government Area on Tuesday.
The governor explained that Rivers people had been duly sensitised and told to vote the candidates of PDP for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.
He informed that the beauty of the forthcoming election is that it would leave no room for any form of electoral manipulation and intimidation from security personnel.
Wike, allegorically, told them to be sure that all votes must be put in one basket in favour of candidates of the PDP in the State.
“This time, no army will do anything. No Fakorode will do any thing. No police will do anything. Now, it is one man, one vote. All the votes must be in one basket from governorship to House of Assembly. The other one we are concluding. When we conclude, you will be told.
“Nobody should intimidate you. Nobody should tell you any story. We are free born of this country. We are not second class citizens. Nobody can tell us anything. I dare them. Let anybody do any funny thing, We’ll tell them we are from Rivers State,” he said.
He emphasised that it would be a case of one man, one vote and no blackmail could dissuade or thwart the collective resolve of the people on who to support with their votes.
The governor, who urged the people to be calm, maintained that when the final decision of the presidential candidate the state would support will be taken, Rivers electorate would be notified.
“As we finish from here now, you’ll go home and start working before the appropriate time when we will ring the bell. When you hear the bell being rang, know that the decision has been taken.”
Wike explained that governance was not about story telling but in performance that translated into making living easier for the people and seeing them happy.
He said the successes of his administration was what the consolidation team, to be headed by the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, would consolidate and therefore, should be elected to continue from where he will stop.