Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has revealed how he almost scuttled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary as he called on his supporters to remain calm.
The governor said this on Monday at a reception in his honour at the Government House in Port Harcourt following his return from the party’s presidential primary in Abuja.
Wike said he was tempted to obstruct the process when an aspirant who had spoken previously was allowed to return to the podium to pronounce his withdrawal, in contravention to the guidelines of the election.
“I have never seen how people can violate procedures and guidelines. Somebody has spoken, it is at that point he was speaking that he would have said I am withdrawing. You don’t call him back,” Wike said. “I just said, ‘Look, this our party must not be destroyed.’”
‘God’s Will’
He, however, called on his supporters to remain calm, describing his loss at the PDP presidential primary as the will of God.
“It is God’s will, let us not bother ourselves so much,” Wike said, accusing governors of the southern region of betrayal.
“Shame to those who will sell out their own,” he said, maintaining that “I have never seen a thing like that”.
“No wonder we cannot move on with development. Look at, a region ganged up. Then, your own region cannot gang up,” Wike argued.
“You became a tool to be used against the interest of your people and you think you have won? You have lost.”
Governor Wike said though he did not clinch the PDP presidential ticket, he believes, just like his supporters, that his performance has raised the political profile of Rivers State and other minority groups in Nigeria.
“In the political history of this country, you can count on us. We are not pushovers,” the former minister said.
